German Catholic Bishops Condemn AfD Support and Reassert Political Role
The German Bishops' Conference criticizes the AfD's election results, defends its political engagement, and addresses key societal and church issues at its spring assembly.
- Bishops' Conference Chairman Georg Bätzing labeled the AfD's strong election performance as 'very concerning' and criticized its divisive and nationalist rhetoric.
- Bätzing emphasized that AfD voters bear responsibility for supporting the party's positions and stated that such choices cannot expect solidarity from the Church.
- The Catholic Church reaffirmed its commitment to political involvement, citing its mission to advocate for human dignity, solidarity, and open societies, despite criticism from political leaders like CSU's Markus Söder.
- Other topics at the assembly include the Church's response to sexual abuse cases, the Synodal Path reform process, and the situation of Christians in conflict zones such as Syria.
- Ongoing tensions between the Church and the CDU/CSU over migration policies and collaboration with the AfD were highlighted, with Church leaders rejecting calls for reduced political engagement.
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Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung 
Augsburger Allgemeine 
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