More mosques and Islamic instruction in Catholic schools

New Chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Zollitsch speaks out against parallel societies. Cathcon translation of Zollitsch gegen Parallel gesellschaften.

The newly elected Chairman of the German Bishops' Conference has opted for integration and against parallel societies in Germany. About the debate about the speech in Cologne of the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Freiburg Archbishop Robert Zollitsch said this Wednesday in Würzburg:

"If people want to be among us, then it is important that they be integrated, without however abandoning their own language. But they have to live in our society, have to deal with this society and also have to identify with this society. And there cannot be parallel societies. "

On the statement by Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) - "This is our shared country" - Zollitsch fully agrees that she is also the Chancellor of the Turks living in Germany. Both church and society face major challenges on this issue.

"We do a lot for integration as a church. A large number of Turkish children attend our Catholic kindergartens, because they feel that there are Christian values being transmitted. We take them happily because we contribute to integration. We in the Catholic Church have also strongly supported Islamic religious instruction, but in the German language, and with teachers who are trained by us, so that this can also contribute to the integration of these people. Parallel societies are always societies, which are vulnerable to conflicts and crises, because then many people do not feel at home where they live. "

The Church should be present in society. This Zollitsch had emphasised immediately after his election, and that he also wanted to speak politically. In the first interview with Vatican Radio, the Freiburg Archbishop also talked about the conflict over new mosques:

"If Muslims are living in our country, then they have the right to have their own mosques. We urge the same right for Christians in Turkey or in Islamic countries such as Egypt. The fact that, unfortunately, this does not happen, should not lead us to act in just the same way. The other question is, of course, whether mosques of large size with so huge minarets should be built, as are planned by some groups, because it is seen by many as a provocation. "

A group that wants to integrate should not provoke, but to show that they wish to integrate into society, according to Zollitsch. He is critical of the financing of mosques by foreign donors, "and when it comes to Turkish mosques, the imams are appointed by the Turkish government and, unfortunately, some were withdrawn if they are sought too much dialogue with us. Too much from their perspective. I believe that the dialogue is necessary, as we can then go a step forward in dialogue. "