Maria 1.0 Initiative not satisfied with response of German Bishops
In an open letter, "Maria 1.0" had called on the German bishops to end their cooperation with ZdK President, Irme Stetter-Karp. Now there is a reply to the letter - but the Initiative is not satisfied with it.
The Secretariat of the German Bishops' Conference (DBK) has
responded to the open letter of the reform-critical Initiative "Maria
1.0" and emphasised its own commitment to unborn life. "As I am sure you know, the German
bishops have always been strongly committed to the concerns of dignity and the
protection of human life from the moment of conception until natural death,"
reads a letter signed by the head of the DBK Office on the Synodal Path, Frank
Ronge, which the Initiative published on Monday.
It is "a matter of course to oppose any form of general
legalisation and social establishment of abortion", Ronge said. This commitment is expressed, among other
things, in the "Week for Life" for which the DBK is co-responsible
and in numerous texts and contributions. In his letter, Ronge emphasised that it was in
accordance with the generally applicable rules not to answer open letters
individually. "Nevertheless, I
thank you on this way for the indications and suggestions you have given in
your letter and which we critically receive." He further invited the Initiative
to participate in the "Week for Life" "and thus express the
common commitment to the protection of life".
"Maria 1.0" criticised the response letter in a
press release on Monday as a "remarkably vacuous answer". There was no discussion of the contents of the
letter. German Catholics and
representatives of the universal Church and the public had a right to know
"why the President of the German Bishops' Conference continues to remain
silent and continues to cling to the co-operation with Dr Stetter-Karp in such
a prominent position and why Bishop Dr Bätzing wants to shape the future of the
Catholic Church in Germany alongside a woman who places the right to life of
the most defenceless and defenceless people under the reservation of the
woman's right to self-determination and thus openly violates the teachings of
the Church, as well as with the demand for nationwide abortion
facilities," the Initiative criticises. The core demand therefore remains
unchanged.
Initiative wants to send letter to bishops again
The Initiative announced that it will forward the Open
Letter again to all German Diocesan Bishops in the next few days,
"supplemented by a list of the numerous supporters", according to
"Maria 1.0". "The
immensely positive national and international echo and the great praise of many
believers, priests, bishops and renowned theologians who have contacted us
encourage us to continue on this path."
On Thursday, the Initiative had written to the German
bishops asking them to end their cooperation with the president of the Central
Committee of Catholics (ZdK). Irme
Stetter-Karp had "crossed a red line" with her statements on the
subject of abortion, the letter to the DBK president, Bishop Georg Bätzing,
said. Stetter-Karp, who is also Co-President
of the Catholic reform project Synodal Way, abuses her office to
"advertise the alleged equivalency of the woman's right to
self-determination and the right to life of the unborn child".
Stetter-Karp had previously opposed calls from politicians
for further liberalisation of abortion in a guest article for the
"Zeit" supplement "Christ und Welt". "Section 218a must not be touched in its
substance under any circumstances." Section 218a StGB regulates the counselling
solution, according to which an abortion remains exempt from punishment under
certain conditions, including mandatory counselling. At the same time, she had stated that in order
for pregnant women to make an open-ended decision, "it must be ensured that
the medical intervention of an abortion is made possible throughout the
country". This is currently not the
case, especially in rural areas.
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