Church - The problem of sexualized violence is huge and massive
Coming to terms with sexualized violence is an enormously complex undertaking, according to the regional bishop of the Protestant Church in Baden. In specific individual cases, perpetrators and victims can usually be clearly identified, said Heike Springhart on Monday evening in Karlsruhe. In the big picture, however, there are many gray areas and therefore no simple black and white solutions.
The church's responsibility here is to take a closer look and deal with the issue in a self-critical manner. It is about a breach of trust - that is the damage that has been done. You have to talk about it, you have to look at it self-critically, said Springhart. In her view, it does not matter that the Catholic Church - according to everything that is known so far - has to deal with more cases of abuse than the Protestant Church. "The problem is huge and massive, regardless of the numbers," said the regional bishop.
The resignation of Annette Kurschus, Chair of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), recently caused a stir in connection with the issue of sexualized violence. The 60-year-old was accused in a newspaper report of having known many years ago of suspected sexual assault against a former church employee. The theologian denies this, but resigned as chairwoman of the council and president of the regional church of Westphalia on November 20 so as not to damage those affected by headlines by remaining in office, as she said.
Regional Bishop Springhart said that the resignation hurt her and that she had no doubt about Kurschus' sincerity. She was concerned that as soon as the suspicion of a cover-up was raised, the verdict had basically already been passed. The background to the case is still unclear and must first be clarified, she emphasized.
This Tuesday (4 p.m.), the EKD Synod will digitally resume its meeting, which was interrupted in Ulm. According to the EKD, the background to the interruption on November 15 was the announced warning strike at Deutsche Bahn. Kurschus came under pressure during the conference. According to a spokesperson, the President of the Synod, Anna-Nicole Heinrich, will comment on Kurschus' resignation during the digital continuation of the meeting. A statement is also expected from the acting EKD chairwoman Kirsten Fehrs.
The EKD is the communion of 20 Lutheran, Reformed and united regional churches. 19.2 million Protestant Christians in Germany belong to one of the 12,700 church congregations.
The Protestant regional church in Baden has over one million members. Many dozens of cases of abuse are also known from the regional church and the diaconia. Work has been underway for years to come to terms with these cases and try to help those affected.
Regional church on the topic
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- The EKD, being the communion of various regional churches in Germany, including the Protestant regional church in Baden, is taking steps to address the issue of sexualized violence within their congregations.
- In Karlsruhe, the regional bishop of the Protestant Church in Baden, Heike Springhart, emphasized the need for self-critical reflection on this issue, stating that the problem is massive and affects both the Catholic and Protestant churches alike.
- During the EKD Synod's digital meeting later this Tuesday, President Anna-Nicole Heinrich is expected to comment on the resignation of Annette Kurschus, who stepped down following allegations of knowledge about past sexual assault within the church.
- The refurbishment of the Church in Karlsruhe is underway, with Karlsruhe mayor Annette Kurschus (not to be confused with the aforementioned theologian) emphasizing the importance of ensuring safety and transparency in the process to combat any potential cases of criminality.
Source: www.stern.de
