At the Catholic Convention in Erfurt, bishops called for social and political engagement. The Christian faith must not “vegetate in a quiet room”. The church must make its contribution to peace.
At the Catholic Convention in Erfurt, bishops stressed that the church should not stay out of politics. “Our God is biased,” said the chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, Georg Bätzing, at a reception hosted by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, which is close to the CDU. “He is on the side of the just, of the law.” The church therefore often speaks out on issues of peace, climate and asylum policy, and against ethnic nationalism.
Even if Christianity becomes a minority in Germany, the church must make its contribution to peace, said Bätzing. “We do not want to ask the question: what will become of us? Instead, we want to increasingly ask ourselves: who are we here for?” The church wants to contribute to the well-being of all people in the country, not just Christians.
The Catholic Day’s program today included the topics of the abuse scandal and reforms in the church. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and several ministers are expected in Erfurt on Friday and Saturday. Numerous representatives from Berlin’s political scene and prominent figures from culture, science, church and society have also announced their attendance.
Church should get involved in politics
Magdeburg Bishop Gerhard Feige also opposed the idea that the church should not interfere in politics. In his sermon for the celebration planned for the evening, he recalled the era of National Socialism and Communism, when faith was pushed back into the private sphere: “Christianity should at most be restricted to church services and the sacristy or be allowed to vegetate in the quiet of one’s room as a private emotional matter.”
“Churches must not remain silent,” Feige continued. Even today, some groups are trying to marginalize religion. Referring to the neutrality of the state, the church is being called upon to concentrate on its core competence and only meet the religious needs of its members. The bishop countered: “When it comes fundamentally and specifically to the dignity and freedom of every human being, respect for human rights and the common good, peace and the preservation of creation, we as churches cannot and must not remain silent.”
Memorial co-founder visits
Nobel Peace Prize winner Irina Scherbakova said at the Catholic Day that she currently has little hope for a democratic future for Russia. If President Vladimir Putin wins the war in Ukraine, there will be no chance for change in her homeland, said the co-founder of the human rights organization Memorial, which has been banned in Russia since 2022. “Putin is proclaiming eternal war.”
Tradition of peace prayers in Erfurt
According to the organizers, around 6,000 people took part in an ecumenical service for Corpus Christi on Erfurt Cathedral Square in the morning. In rainy weather, Erfurt Bishop Ulrich Neymeyr preached together with linguist Ulrike Lynn about the biblical motto of the Catholic Day. Christians should not allow themselves to be discouraged in their efforts for justice and peace – “even if we encounter rejection,” said Neymeyr.
With regard to calls for more armaments, Neymeyr recalled the vision of the Old Testament prophet Micah of a world in which swords are forged into plowshares and no people wage war anymore. It was also the motto of the GDR peace movement. In Erfurt, an ecumenical prayer for peace has been held every Thursday since 1978 in Erfurt’s Lorenz Church.
Around 20,000 Christians plan to take part in the 500 events of the Catholic Day in Erfurt by Sunday. The motto of the meeting is “The future is for the man of peace” from Psalm 37.