Married and female priests no solution shown by catastrophic Protestant decline

The planned reorganisation of the Catholic deanery of Amberg-Sulzbach also played a role at the last meeting of the Hahnbach parish community, to which the parish council with its spokesperson Brigitta Heidlinger had invited to the new parish hall. After the review by Brigitta Heidlinger, by Maria Koller for Ursulapoppenricht and by Gebenbach's parish administrator Susanne Lindner, Christian Lingl for Ursulapoppenricht and Georg Münch for Hahnbach also thanked the political community and the Diocese for generous support in and around churches and facilities of the parish community.

Dean and parish priest Christian Schulz presented the basis for discussion of the Pastoral Plan 2034, the implementation of which he would probably not experience as pastor of Hahnbach, as he said. However, this is unavoidable, as the number of priests and other pastoral specialists who can be deployed will be at least halved by 2034. Only eight parish communities will then exist in the large deanery of Amberg-Sulzbach, which will have to be formed across some borders.

Schulz vigorously rejected the objection that the shortage of priests could be countered by ordaining women and abolishing celibacy. For the Protestant Church, where both have existed for a long time, has even more dwindling members. "If you don't believe, you won't stay," he quoted from the Bible and asked about lived personal Christianity, which must be sincere and exemplary. A "pure cultural Christianity" is not sustainable, he assured, only a "genuine Christ relationship". He advocated active cells in the parishes, which were fed by this faith, and leading pastoral care centres, which put together the best quality for several parishes, such as a successful youth service, appealing devotions and other things.

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