The Lion of Cologne, Cardinal Meisner

Cardinal Meisner clobbers allegedly Catholic politicians.

Cathcon translation.

Meisner is correct to heavily criticise Schavan
Cardinal Joachim Meisner, has accused the German Research Minister Annette Schavan of having abandoned her Christian principles. In fact, the Christian Democrat has displayed an unbelievable balancing act between Christian morality and political thinking required to get your way.

Cologne's Cardinal Joachim Meisner is known for his strong, often provocatively formulated announcements of his position, indeed notorious. Regularly they provoke in the left-liberal media an increasing storm of indignation, especially with the anticlerical Greens, such as Claudia Roth and Volker Beck. This time, these two side with Meisner, surprisingly compliant:

"Where he is right, he is right," said Beck, Parliamentary manager of the Greens on the philippic of the Archbishop of Cologne against Annette Schavan. The German Research Minister (CDU) had put through the CDU Party Conference, using a finely threaded procedural method, with a sudden vote, a demand for the relaxation of the stem cells law.

Now, she stands as a “U-turner” a minister who, as Meisner says, "abandons Christian principles" and thus turns against the Catholic Church, to which she herself belongs.

Undoubtedly, the Cardinal is right, although some Catholics should ask whether Catholic or Christian can still claim priority in the Christian Democratic parties. In too many areas, the CDU and CSU in recent years, have to adjust themselves to the general trends, in order to remain electable. For conservative critics, this is that the unique feature of the Union parties nowadays: arbitrariness.

This was, as in the abortion issue, satisfied with a compromise formula or the subject of maneuvers as with the family policy. The mandatory " foundation of values" (Meisner), which justifies the "C" in the party name, has been lost.

A policy that accepts that research will lead to the death of embryos in exchange for the potential healing of people, leaves behind self-imposed ethical foundations. And this is shortly solved, as the science of breakthrough in the research of skin cells seems to have succeeded.

That Annette Schavan after outbreak of criticism her decision, as she always as a minister funded adult stem cell research,said this is no in comparison to the use of embryos not promising enough, shows a totally unbelievable balancing act between morality and expediency. One cannot just believe a little bit in God and His ordering of creation, but totally - or not at all.

The actual addressee of Meisner’s harsh criticism is Angela Merkel, who in the vote threw the entire weight of the majority of the Party Congress against restrictions on stem cell research. After all, the Chancellor knows that the SPD majority in the Bundestag will vote for the increased import of stem cells - and that the coalition will be united. Power politics and all power to research are a game of cards.