German Protestants give up on Pro-Life work with Catholics
Week for Life: Break between Catholics and Protestants?
With the annual "Week for Life" campaign, the two major churches have been advocating for the protection of life since 1994. The Catholic Bishops' Conference has now confirmed that the Protestant Church has withdrawn from the project. But the Protestant Church is keeping a low profile.
As recently as April, the Catholic and Protestant churches in Germany placed the "existential crises of the young generation" at the centre of their "Week for Life". Now one of the oldest joint projects of the two large churches seems to be in crisis itself.
Bishops' Conference confirms Protestants' withdrawal
The Catholic German Bishops' Conference confirmed on Monday at the request of the Catholic News Agency (KNA) that it had been informed in writing by the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) that it wanted to withdraw from the ecumenical project. The Bremen-based "Weserkurier" had first reported on this. According to the report, the EKD Council decided last week in Berlin to withdraw from the project.
However, an EKD spokeswoman told BR24 that the Protestant Church is currently in talks about the further organisation of the theme week. "To this end, we are in exchange with our Catholic partners." Beyond that, the EKD "does not want to comment at the current time and also does not want to confirm the withdrawal."
Ecumenical "Week for Life" since 1994
In 1991, the Bishops' Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) launched the nationwide campaign week, and in 1994 the EKD joined in. The aim is to stand up together for the protection of human life in all its phases. So far, however, it has not only been about issues such as abortion and euthanasia. This year, for example, the action week under the motto "Generation Z(ukunft) - F(uture) Search for Meaning between Fear and Perspective", the action week dealt with young people's concerns about crises such as war, climate change and the Corona pandemic.
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The German Bishops' Conference regrets the EKD's withdrawal, spokesman Matthias Kopp told the CBA: "We are sad that one of the oldest ecumenical initiatives in Germany, which for almost 30 years has made an important contribution to raising awareness of the value and dignity of human life, is no longer relevant to the EKD."
He said the current issues were on the table - from suicide prevention to the question of dementia to dying with dignity in old age: "We cannot understand why the EKD is leaving this joint project, where we as churches have acted with one voice in public."
Where views diverge on euthanasia and abortion
The two churches do not have a common position on all issues at the beginning and end of life. For example, in May 2022, after lengthy discussion, the Protestants agreed that assisted suicide is possible in exceptional cases in the homes of the Protestant Diakonie. Thus, unlike the Catholic Caritas, it does not completely exclude the form of euthanasia.
The Protestant Church also takes a more differentiated position on the issue of abortion and allows abortion in some cases. The Catholic Church generally rejects abortion and considers it morally wrong because it protects human life from conception.
Furthermore, the Catholic Church rejects the use of artificial contraceptives and instead supports natural family planning methods. It also rejects pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), as this involves the examination and possible selection or discarding of embryos as part of artificial insemination. The Protestant Church does not have a unified position on either of these issues and allows its members personal freedom of choice in these matters.
Catholic bishops to discuss in September
It is not yet clear whether the dissonance on these existential questions for the churches has now possibly led to a rupture. The Catholic bishops, according to their spokesperson, want to discuss the continuation of the "Week for Life" at their next plenary meeting in September in Wiesbaden. It is possible that this will no longer take place ecumenically.
The current issues are on the table - from suicide prevention to the question of dementia to dying with dignity in old age: "We cannot understand why the EKD is leaving this joint project, in which we as churches have acted with one voice in public."
Where views diverge on euthanasia and abortion
The two churches do not have a common position on all issues at the beginning and end of life. For example, in May 2022, after a long discussion, the Protestants agreed that assisted suicide would be possible in exceptional cases in the homes of the Protestant Diakonie. Thus, unlike the Catholic Caritas, it does not completely exclude the form of euthanasia.
The Protestant Church also takes a more differentiated position on the issue of abortion and allows abortion in some cases. The Catholic Church generally rejects abortion and considers it morally wrong because it protects human life from conception.
Furthermore, the Catholic Church rejects the use of artificial contraceptives and instead supports natural family planning methods. It also rejects pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), as this involves the creation of embryos in the context of artificial insemination.
Cathcon: So much for ecumenism but that said if the Synodalists get their way, the Catholic Church will be headed along the same moral path as the Protestants. One might hope, however, that this removes the constraints from the Catholic Church in their proclamation of Pro-Life values.
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