Head of German Bishops associates tradition with old leaven of malice and wickedness

Bishop Georg Bätzing calls for renewal of the Church

In his Easter sermon, the President of the Bishops' Conference speaks about crises for coming generations. He also addresses conflicts in the Catholic Church.

Easter sermon: Bishop Georg Bätzing addressed in his sermon that many believers had been alienated by the misconduct of the Catholic Church.

The President of the German Bishops' Conference, Georg Bätzing, called for the renewal of the Catholic Church in his Easter sermon. "There is no alternative to conversion and renewal," the Limburg bishop said. He said that the Catholic Church had developed a firm core of convictions in laborious and often contentious processes. This could give the faithful support and orientation.

For a long time, the Catholic Church has been characterised by a dispute between traditionalists and reformers. Bätzing himself is considered one of the most resolute innovators.

The Bishop pointed out that not everything that has evolved in the course of time in terms of tradition is worth preserving. "Faced with the past, we also notice the stale taste of the old leaven of malice and wickedness," he said, referring to a phrase of the Apostle Paul from the Bible. "Whenever the Church and individual believers have become too involved with power, when they thought they should rule over people for the sake of Christ, then they have not followed the ways of the Risen One, have deceived people (...) to the point of sacrilegiously destroying confidence in the Faith." Bätzing's demand: "Away with the old leaven, even if it is conflictual and painful!"

At the same time, he urged that church misconduct in the past be seriously confronted. Whenever the Church and individual believers had become too involved with power, they had cheated people out of love, said Bätzing. In some cases, the faith of these people was also destroyed.

Bätzing recalls war, violence and crises

The Bishop of Limburg went on to say that he saw this year's Easter as a "highly topical announcement of the times". The impression that there would be more crises, "more violence, more unrest, more confusion and a threat to the future for coming generations" was probably not correct.

"The resurrection of Jesus that we celebrate today counters the escalation of crises and violence with the escalation of life and love." In this way, peace and understanding would become possible.

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Cathcon:  And a Happy Easter to you too Bishop