A chance find now gives hope

adminonNovember 9, 2021January 5, 2022Leave a Comment

St.-St. Paul's Cathedral in Munster © Friso Gentsch

Since the virus pandemic, she has received special attention: Saint Corona is even invoked against the spread of epidemics. Why there is now a figure in St. Paul's Cathedral, explains Munster Cathedral Provost Kurt Schulte.

Interviewer: Where did you find this statue?

Kurt Schulte (cathedral provost in Munster): There is something special about it. I also work at the Offizialat, the ecclesiastical court. An employee from the Offizialat has been assigned to clear up an apartment. A large figure of the saint came to light in the process. He asked me to keep it in a dignified way because there was no room for it in the new apartment.

It was thought that this was Saint Elizabeth because she was holding something in her hand that looked like bread. Caritas and social commitment were also very important in the family.

I showed the figure to our art experts and took a look at it. It actually came out that it was Saint Corona. It was completely unknown to me until now. She then found a place with me in the apartment.

When suddenly there was talk of the Corona virus, I remembered it again and read about the life of St. Corona. I then brought the figure into the cathedral and there it now stands in a special place.

We have laid out a prayer and a life presentation there. Many people look at this figure, linger before it, and pray with their personal concerns and needs.

Interviewer: The cathedral is still open for prayer, so people are still allowed to come. If the figure is visited a lot, you often see people standing there?

Schulte: Yes. Of course, many people are surprised at first to see this figure there. Before there was no figure there. Our overall experience is that the cathedral is not so crowded. The city center of Munster is also empty.

But all the people who visit the cathedral linger there and take a seat, read through the leaflet and draw strength from prayer.

Interviewer: You personally wouldn't have thought that this particular figure would one day have a prominent place in the cathedral, would you??

Schulte: Certainly not. I have always wondered where this figure could find a good place. When I pray the rosary in the evening at 7:30 p.m. while the bells are ringing in the closed cathedral, together with the sexton on duty, we say at the end of the prayer "Holy Corona, pray for us"."

This invocation takes a lot of getting used to for me, because the virus is so present in my mind.

Interviewer: Last Friday, the pope celebrated a large church service. Well, actually it was all alone in St. Peter's Square. But he gave the blessing "Urbi et Orbi" over the city and the world at this time. Do you also have the feeling in Munster that people need something to hold on to right now?

Schulte: I feel these days, when I make many phone calls, that people feel abandoned and powerless. They are looking for support and perspectives and try to draw strength in these anxiety-provoking times.

Many find encouragement in the Pope's blessing and his wonderful address. People are looking for God in this time. People realize that it is a challenging time, but they draw strength and confidence from the knowledge that God is with them.

Interviewer: How much does it hurt you then that you can only open the cathedral outside of church services?

Schulte: That hurts me a lot. I usually celebrate the service in the cathedral every day with a very familiar congregation. It takes more than a little getting used to, to celebrate the service in the cathedral alone now. Especially with Easter in mind and the experience of Eucharistic communion.

Interviewer: Is it difficult to explain that the church, which is there for the people in times of crisis, has to leave everyone out of the service and banish them to the television??

Schulte: Yes. So far I have always been able to live in peace and in good times. I have not experienced it so far that the churches had to be closed and people could not go to the service.

Especially times of need and distress are times of common worship and prayer. One holds intercession in the community and seeks consolation. Now we are deprived of this possibility of gathering strength and we realize that we are missing something essential.

We must therefore look for new ways and that is where church service broadcasts such as through this site play a role.DE and many other things play an important role. They proclaim the good news and connect people with God.

Interviewer: There is a saying: "What is not there, one does not miss in the end." If the crisis should last longer, you are afraid that people could lose access to the service and the church?

Schulte: I believe that both are possible. Some will be able to make Sunday without attending Holy Mass and will not attend services after the crisis is over.

I hope that people, on the other hand, will reflect at this time and think about the essentials. There I am again with the Holy Corona. She is also the patron saint of treasure hunters. Jesus also speaks of the treasure in the field or the pearl.

We should rediscover for ourselves faith and the reception of the Eucharist as a source of strength. Perhaps, by longing for it and reflecting on what is essential, we will rediscover worship for ourselves.

Interviewer: Now the Holy and Easter days are coming up, these intense liturgies. Do you have any idea what it will be like to celebrate the Eucharist with only a few people in the cathedral??

Schulte: As soon as we realized that the services would have to be celebrated without a congregation, we began to plan with the cathedral music and the cathedral monsignor to celebrate these services in a simple way. It's a way to bring people closer to the Paschal Mystery and the liturgy.

While I am sad that many things are not possible, I am grateful that the services can be brought to people's homes through the media. I know from many that they sit at home and not only watch the services, but also participate in them.

I believe that we will also succeed in this with the Holy and Easter services. On Sunday, our bishop Felix Genn will celebrate Holy Mass and give an address. He interprets the Gospel.

Interviewer: There is an interesting idea on the Internet. Many miss the services and the suggestion was, when the crisis is over and all restrictions are hopefully lifted, to have the first service in each church as an Easter service. What do you think about it?

Schulte: I think that is a very good idea. Every Sunday, so to speak, is a small Easter and why shouldn't we really celebrate it in a great festivity after this crisis?.

After all the help we have received in these difficult times, we have every reason to say thank you and then celebrate this service in a dignified way.

The interview was conducted by Matthias Friebe.

Intersexuality: Politics must implement judgement of the Federal Constitutional Court © Jan Woitas (KNA)

The Bundestag discusses this Thursday the introduction of a "third gender" in the civil status register. People without a clear biological sex should be able to register "divers" there in the future. The most important questions and answers:

What changes?

Lawmakers had already amended the Personal Status Act in 2013 to address the fact that there are people who are not biologically clearly assigned to the male or female gender. However, it did not introduce a "third gender" in the birth register, such as hermaphrodite, hermaphrodite, transsexual or intersexual, but only the possibility of not providing information.

A draft law of the Federal Ministry of the Interior now provides that in the certification of the birth of a newborn child, in addition to the information "female" and "male" or the "registration of the civil status case without such an indication" can be selected in the future, the designation "diverse".

A later change of the assignment in the birth entry and – if desired – the choice of a new first name should be made possible by a declaration to the registry office.

Why now?

The Federal Constitutional Court had in a decision of 10. October 2017 required by lawmakers until 31. December to allow a "positive sex entry" for people with variants of sex development.

Why the term "diverse?

According to the draft law, the choice of the term is in line with the wishes of the persons concerned. Since the legislature is not required to register every arbitrary identity characteristic under personal status law, the designation should offer as many affected persons as possible the possibility of identification, the draft states.

To whom does the entry apply?

The bill is limited to people with variants of sex development. It adheres to the physical sex and not to a self-assessment. Accordingly, those affected must prove this by submitting a medical certificate; this does not have to contain a precise diagnosis, a medical certificate is sufficient. The bill is based on an international medical classification system.

Intersexuality can show up in chromosomes, hormones or anatomical sex characteristics. The manifestations are manifold. In the past, genital reassignment surgeries were mostly performed in early childhood, supplemented by long-term hormonal follow-up treatment. Intersexual people partly saw this as biological standardization and forced treatment. In the meantime the doctors are more reserved.

How many people are affected?

In its decision, the Federal Constitutional Court speaks of some 160.000 people with variants of gender development in Germany. The bill again ames that about one third will not identify with the gender recorded in the birth register and thus make a declaration of change. In the future, he expects to gain about 1.500 newborns with variants of gender development, and correspondingly an estimated 500 people who will apply for a change of gender and first name.

Minors affected by the law can apply from the age of 14. He himself had to make a corresponding declaration by the time he reached the age of 18. They need for it the agreement of the legal representative, thus as a rule of the parents. The legal representative can only override the decision if there are "reasons relevant to the welfare of the child".

A spirit of optimism in the CDU at the first round of interviews of the candidates for the party chairmanship. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Friedrich Merz and Jens Spahn presented themselves at the first of eight regional conferences. A balance sheet.

Interviewer: The federal party conference of the CDU will decide on 7. December in Hamburg on the new CDU chairmanship. Beforehand, the three candidates present themselves at eight regional conferences. The first took place on Thursday evening in Lubeck, with participants from Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In the run-up the expression "reinvention of the CDU" has often been used. Did one notice something of it in the hall?

Christoph Strack (Deputy Head of Deutsche Welle's Capital City Studio): That was clearly noticeable. One simply notices that many members really feel something like a new beginning, also perhaps a conclusion. They realize that this personnel decision is also something of a directional decision. And that – for all their satisfaction with the political situation in the country – they still want something that will move the party forward in a new way.

There was an atmosphere in the hall that was very impressive. I have participated in many events in the field of politics. Rarely have I experienced something like this; with a mixture between serious silence, enthusiasm, almost also emotion. And that in a hall that was really overcrowded with 900 delegates and many journalists. That is, one notices that this party also gets involved in this – let's call it – competition and that they themselves are also eager to see what comes of it. What the CDU has set out to do with this series of eight events can work. That can perhaps bring the party together a bit more, irrespective of the personnel decision.

Interviewer: So are we now a little bit closer to the answer of who could take over the CDU presidency?

Strack: I would be cautious. The polls, which suggest that Kramp-Karrenbauer is leading just ahead of Friedrich Merz, do not confirm this directly. One notices, for example, when entering the hall and the welcome, that Kramp-Karrenbauer and Merz clearly receive the strongest applause. This could also be felt after the 10-minute speeches of each of the three at the beginning: The applause for Kramp-Karrenbauer had a good 40 seconds, for Friedrich Merz 30 seconds, for Jens Spahn then another 15 seconds. That's a clear difference.

But in the course of the evening, Jens Spahn also made quite a few points. So it's not that the race is over. The event was therefore not boring at all. It was also not just a matter of looking in each case: Who is clapping where. I spoke with several delegates who made it clear that it was not yet a matter of saying: We are in favor of one or the other.

Interviewer: Let's look at the handling of refugees: Chancellor Merkel said in the summer of 2015 "We can do it". Her possible successors are beginning to distance themselves from it. How was it received – also with regard to the question of fear of anti-Semitism, which can also come to Germany through refugees??

Strack: It was remarkable. The lot had decided that Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer should be the first of the three to address the assembly. And she was the only one to address the ie of refugees in her introductory remarks, surprisingly distancing herself from Angela Merkel and the course she has taken so far. Although she also had the approach of Merkel to say: "We must not talk about it forever", because – many delegates also share this – this topic could tear the CDU apart, as the topic Hartz IV occupies the SPD until today and tears it apart. So she said that we have to come to it in the spring that we look fundamentally "that what happened in the fall of 2015 must never happen again like that."She perhaps took the wind out of the sails of the two competitors, who did not respond at all.

In the course of the evening, however, it became clear that this basic ie of "domestic security" and "enforcement of the rule of law" is a real concern for all three candidates. Merz and Spahn were clearer than the secretary general. But it's probably the case that the grassroots perhaps want to hear more or expect even more.

The last questioner actually came to the conclusion that with the wave of refugees in 2015 – it was not an opening of the borders, but merely the permission that people were allowed to come to Germany without controls, which had already been the case de facto – massive anti-Semitism had also come to Germany.

All three candidates did not put this into perspective, but they did put it into perspective. And Friedrich Merz in particular made it clear that anti-Semitism could not be respected in Germany in any way, just like xenophobia. He made explicit reference to the fact that Germany, in terms of its structure and history, has a Christian, Jewish and occidental character. And that this is the framework to which everyone who wants to live in Germany must adhere. These are cornerstones that cannot be shaken. And it is now the task of education and of all those who work in this area to convey these values and to ensure that this approach continues to shape Germany.

At the very end, Jens Spahn, who had repeatedly touched on the subject of refugees during the past few days with clear criticism of Merkel, made it clear what this meant to him: to him, the figure of 200 refugees, which is now a possibility, was a very low one.000 immigrants or refugees expected to arrive in Germany each year is far too high. Because the country will not be able to cope. He pointed out that every lifestyle and way of life must continue to be possible in Germany without people having to be afraid – be it Jews who are afraid of anti-Semitism or other minorities who no longer feel comfortable in Germany. For this, he said, the state must take into account.

Spahn also pointed out that he is homosexual and accordingly also has experience with exclusion or with aggression. So it was not just a question of internal security that was being raised. But one also noticed that the question of an open society and the question of tradition resonated with all three of them.

The interview was conducted by Renardo Schlegelmilch.

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