The chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, Georg Bätzing, calls for a clear signal from the Catholic Church against right-wing extremism and right-wing populism. “We must defend our democracy, our freedom, openness to Europe, the friendliness of foreigners in our country and raise our voices for it,” he said at the start of the spring general assembly of the Catholic bishops on Monday in Augsburg.
Bätzing called the demonstrations in Germany against right-wing extremism “wonderful” and “strong”. The Bishop of Limburg said he hoped that a common text on this topic would be produced at the meeting in Augsburg. This is also an important signal for the faithful: “Unfortunately, the danger of ethnic-nationalist and right-wing extremist thinking also exists among Catholics. A clear and unambiguous signal from the bishops would be an important factor here.” Bätzing took a clear position on the relationship between the AfD and the church: “My conviction is: the values and content represented by both are not compatible.”
Bätzing also said that he was very grateful that “bishops have now taken a very clear position” on questions of right-wing populism and right-wing extremism, but also anti-Semitism.