German Bishops Address Political Tensions and Church Reforms at Annual Meeting

The conference follows sharp criticism of CDU/CSU's collaboration with the AfD and debates over the church's role in political discourse.

The German Bishops' Conference is holding its annual spring meeting at Kloster Steinfeld, focusing on the church's role in politics and internal reforms.
Tensions have risen after Catholic and Protestant leaders criticized CDU/CSU for cooperating with the AfD in parliamentary votes and for their stance on migration policies.
CSU leader Markus Söder urged the churches to focus on traditional Christian issues, prompting a strong rebuttal from Cardinal Reinhard Marx, who emphasized the church's societal responsibilities beyond religion.
Former CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer resigned from a Catholic lay committee over disagreements with the church's political criticism.
Other key topics at the conference include the plight of Christians in Syria, addressing sexual abuse within the church, and progressing the Synodal Path reform process.