Catholic Bishop praises climate strikes and calls for sins against the environment to be confessed

Germany's Catholic environmental Bishop, Rolf Lohmann takes a sceptical view of the debate on extending the operating lives of German nuclear power plants.

In perspective, he said, it is ethically imperative to "phase out sooner rather than later, as nuclear energy remains a risky technology."

Lohmann praised climate strike actions.

Germany's Catholic environmental Bishop Rolf Lohmann takes a sceptical view of the debate on extending the operating life of German nuclear power plants. It is true that "it would be wrong to categorically rule out this measure in an emergency", the auxiliary bishop from Xanten told the weekly newspapers "Neue Bildpost" and "Katholische Sonntagszeitung für Deutschland". However, from a perspective point of view, it is ethically advisable to "phase out sooner rather than later, since nuclear energy remains a technology fraught with risk. Moreover, the question of final storage remains unresolved."

The Auxiliary Bishop further praised climate strikes like those of the "Fridays for Future" activists. "It is not only sensible but absolutely necessary that young people in particular peacefully raise their voices and draw attention to the consequences of climate change, as they will be affected by it even more directly and for longer than my generation. That is why I absolutely support the call for a climate strike," said Lohmann, referring to an action planned by a broad alliance for 23 September.

"We should all take to the streets"

The Bishop stressed, "It's about our future, it's about countless lives that are acutely endangered by climate change." He went on to say, "Actually, we should all take to the streets and get angry with those who idly sit back and do nothing, or even populistically defame the demonstrators with cheap slogans."

Christians already have a duty to protect nature and life through the story of creation, he said. "It is part of our basic convictions that everything around us and we ourselves are God's creation."

"Confess sins against the environment"

It is right, moreover, to confess sins against the environment, he said. "More important than words are true repentance, the willingness to repent and the honest effort not to repeat a sin committed," said the regional bishop for the Lower Rhine and the Recklinghausen district in the Münster diocese.

The Church should "set a good example in this field and inspire people for environmental protection and the preservation of creation". Lohmann added: "No one doubts that repentance is necessary. And it will not work without conversion and repentance. This is precisely where the sacrament of penance comes in.

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