"Sleeping in is my Sunday duty", "Don't nail the planet to the Cross" PR campaign by German Catholic Youth attracts sharp criticism.

From 2019, showing the real character of German Catholic youth.

And they followed a shining gender star - We are a cheerful religion.  Really - Don't nail the planet to the Cross

When I grow up, I'll be Pope - We don't incite, we celebrate - The next Arc only with wlan.

An image campaign by youth organizations in the Archdiocese of Cologne has met with sharp criticism from Vicar General Markus Hofmann. The campaign slogans formulated by the Federation of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ) are "pure provocation," Hofmann declared. Much of the content is "in stark contradiction" to the Catholic faith: "I see a great need for discussion here."

The BDKJ launched the campaign "Catholic - Different from what you think." With slogans like "When I grow up, I'll be Pope" and "Catholic - and they followed a shining gender star," the youth organizations advocate for gender equality. Neither arguments based on tradition nor authority could prevent the demand for women's access to all ordained ministries in the Church.

Oversensitive or polemical?

"With us, democracy decides, not the Pope," is another slogan. With "We don't incite, we celebrate," the association promotes the acceptance of homosexual and bisexual people.

Hofmann said it's good that young Catholics are seeking their own language for their faith. The church shouldn't be overly sensitive in this regard. But the slogans of the BDKJ campaign don't make faith in Christ any more understandable. "There's already enough provocation and polemics in the church."

What the campaign aims to achieve

According to the BDKJ, the campaign is intended to contribute to the current reform debate in the church and demonstrate that young people "see themselves as modern and, at the same time, part of the church." "We take the freedom to think and demand what we believe to be right based on our Christian faith," said diocesan chairman Volker Andres. At the same time, he welcomed a debate about the campaign.

Another slogan is "Sleeping in is my Sunday duty." This is not a statement against Sunday Mass, he stated. Rather, it emphasizes that Sunday is also a day of rest. Furthermore, Sunday Mass should not degenerate into a compulsory exercise and must be offered at attractive times.

Great response, but also criticism

According to the BDKJ (German Christian Youth), the campaign, which also advocates for environmental protection with the slogan "Don't nail the planet to the cross," has received a great response nationwide. Around 10,000 campaign products, such as postcards, stickers, T-shirts, mugs, posters, and banners, have already been sold. At the same time, the campaign has also sparked opposition on social media.

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