Father and author
Benedictine monk Anselm Grün senses anger in society
“Many people are afraid of losing something. The uncertainty is very great,” says Father Anselm Grün. photo
© Inga Kjer/dpa
Anselm Grün is considered the most widely read Christian author in German-speaking countries – and he is an attentive observer of society.
According to a Benedictine monk, the currently angry society has Anselm Grün is primarily afraid of declining prosperity. “Many people are afraid of losing something. The uncertainty is very great,” said the priest from Münsterschwarzach Abbey to the “Fränkischer Tag”. “Perhaps the expectations of the state and politics are too high. Many have delegated responsibility for the success of their own lives to the state.”
Politicians have certainly made mistakes. “It wants to control more and more and with all its regulations it often intervenes too deeply in people’s lives, even for my taste,” said the 79-year-old Catholic theologian and author. “It’s so incredibly petty sometimes.” He is no stranger to anger over too much bureaucracy.
Grün came to the Benedictine abbey of Münsterschwarzach in the Kitzingen district when he was just 13 years old. With more than 300 books and an estimated circulation of 20 million copies, he is considered the most widely read Christian author in German-speaking countries.