Archbishop backpedals after criticism of judge on human dignity issues

Bamberg Archbishop Gössl backpedals after criticism of judge

One of the most prominent critics of lawyer Brosius-Gersdorf, Bamberg Archbishop Gössl, regrets his statements. 

After a conversation with the candidate for the Constitutional Court, he said he had been "misinformed." Following his criticism of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf and her alleged views on abortion, Bamberg Archbishop Herwig Gössl and the lawyer spoke on the telephone. The conversation was characterized by "mutual respect," the archdiocese announced in a press release coordinated with Brosius-Gersdorf's lawyers. The Archbishop distances himself from his original criticism. The Süddeutsche Zeitung was the first to report. 

In his sermon last Sunday, Gössl described the planned appointment of Brosius-Gersdorf as a constitutional court judge in the Bundestag as a "domestic political scandal" and, given the lawyer's liberal stance on abortion law, spoke of an "abyss of intolerance and contempt for humanity."

Archbishop regrets statements in sermon. Gössl said in his sermon that Brosius-Gersdorf "allegedly denies the right to life of unborn human beings." The Diocese has now clarified that the archbishop was "misinformed" in this regard, "which he strongly regrets." Brosius-Gersdorf clarified in the telephone call "that she has always advocated for the protection of unborn life and continues to do so today." However, even after the conversation, Gössl maintained his conviction "that there is no such thing as a graduated protection of life." Brosius-Gersdorf had described Gössl's statements on Sunday on ZDF as "infamous." She wanted to "remind everyone that representatives of the Catholic Church are also bound by the constitutional values of our Basic Law and thus also by my human dignity and my personal rights."

Bishop Bätzing introduces himself to Brosius-Gersdorf. 

Before the debate between Gössl and Brosius-Gersdorf, the chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference, Georg Bätzing, had already defended the lawyer against defamation. "This woman does not deserve to be damaged like this," the Limburg bishop told the Augsburger Allgemeine. When asked whether representatives of the church had fueled the discussion about the judicial election, Bätzing said: "A lot has gone wrong in this entire debate." Many people involved in the judicial election have been damaged as a result.

Unclear what happens next 

What will happen in the Brosius-Gersdorf case - whether there will be a new election date in the Bundestag or whether the lawyer will even run again - is unclear. SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf told the news portal t-online: "The SPD stands 100 percent behind her." While the SPD wants to stick with its candidate, the CDU/CSU continues to have reservations about Brosius-Gersdorf. CSU leader Markus Söder no longer expects the lawyer to be elected. "I believe that there won't be a majority for this in the end," Bavaria's Minister-President told the Bild newspaper. However, Söder said he believes the CDU/CSU and SPD could reach an agreement on the issue. At the end of the summer, they will "come together and ultimately make a good decision that also saves the SPD's face."

The CDU/CSU and SPD want to deliberate calmly. 

For Brosius-Gersdorf to even be elected as a constitutional judge, a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag is needed – including votes from the opposition. The AfD rejects the candidate, the Left Party sees the CDU/CSU and SPD as the first choice, and the Greens would like to hold a special session of the Bundestag on the issue as soon as possible. However, as the Reuters news agency reports, the CDU/CSU and SPD have rejected this. According to a letter from parliamentary managers Steffen Bilger of the CDU and Dirk Wiese of the SPD, the coalition wants to "take the necessary time to carefully prepare a new attempt at the elections in the plenary session." Since the Constitutional Court is fully operational, there is currently no urgency for a special session of the Bundestag. In addition to her views on abortion, for which she has been criticized by the CDU/CSU and AfD, Brosius-Gersdorf has also been criticized for alleged plagiarism in her doctoral thesis. However, an expert opinion was able to initially dispel these doubts.

Right-wing criticism also targets another candidate. The constitutional lawyer Ann-Katrin Kaufhold from Munich, who was also nominated, is increasingly being targeted by right-wing posts and comments. AfD Vice President Stephan Brandner called her a "supporter of state expropriations with close ties to the left-green milieu" and "unacceptable." The AfD politician claimed that Kaufhold stands for social transformation to combat climate change and wants to circumvent democratic processes. Kaufhold was a member of a commission on the question of the socialization of large housing companies in Berlin. The committee's conclusion about two years ago was that the Basic Law allows the state of Berlin to regulate the socialization of land through a law.

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