A new beginning of sorts

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The Protestant Church in Germany has decided on a new direction for the participation of victims in the processing of sexualized violence. In the present form, a continuation of the reappraisal is suspended.

After the resignations of several members from the affected persons advisory board, which was founded almost half a year ago, and a request for dissolution from within the body, the previous concept had failed, the EKD announced in Hanover on Monday evening.

Evaluate work externally

The plan, he said, is to initially suspend the work of the previous panel and evaluate it externally in order to better incorporate the perspective of those affected in the future. On the basis of the evaluation, new forms of participation should be discussed together with the original members of the victims' advisory council.

"The participation of those affected in coming to terms with sexualized violence is central and indispensable for the Protestant church.

We hold to this. In the current situation, however, it has become clear that the previously chosen form of participation has reached its limits. This is extremely painful for all involved," said the spokesman for the Council of Commissioners, Bishop Christoph Meyns of Braunschweig.

"It is therefore all the more important that a close examination is now carried out: What circumstances led to the resignations? What have we also done wrong? Which structures were helpful, which hindered? Based on the answers and experiences, we want to look forward in a solution-oriented way," Meyns said.

Participation of victims remains important

In order to continue to advance the ongoing processes of reappraisal and prevention at EKD level during the transition, participation of affected parties will reportedly be ensured with the help of an interim solution.

The decision for a reorientation was preceded by several discussions between the EKD's Council of Representatives for Protection against Sexualized Violence and the former and remaining members of the Advisory Council for Victims of Sexualized Violence. However, no consensus could be reached on how to proceed.

Since the panel was constituted in September 2020, a total of five members of the twelve-member panel had resigned.

In addition, there were internal conflicts between the members of the Affected Persons Advisory Council. In the end, the Council of Representatives had deemed it impossible for the committee to continue its work.

The externally conducted evaluation is expected to be completed this year and, in addition to a sound analysis, will provide insights for future successful structural stakeholder participation at the EKD level.

Structural reform and god question belong together

According to theologian Magnus Striet, the Catholic Church must face the question of freedom and self-determination. "Longing for freedom and faith in God cannot be played off against each other," concludes Striet.

However, he said, the church still has "considerable difficulties in finding an appropriate relationship to the modern age of freedom. It constructs its identity through a tradition that it calls eternal and traces back to God Himself in the disputed points," writes the theologian in a guest article on katholisch.de on Wednesday.

At the moment, some are arguing for structural reforms in the church, while others are saying that Germany is facing a crisis of faith, says Striet. Those who call for structural reforms "quickly run the risk of being portrayed as theologically superficial". Questions of gender justice or questions of sexual orientation, however, are not purely structural ies, "but reach into the center of the faith in God".

Structural reform and the question of God

In this respect, a separation between structural reforms and the question of God "simply misses the point," the scientist warns: The question of God "cannot be posed without the question of man.". Conversely, the question of God "must not remain without consequences for the structure of the church".

The church must take a stand on the question of "whether freedom – thought of as the right of self-determination – should be or not," Striet explains. In those regions of the world where "the idea of self-determination has become the normative yardstick – and: where there is a prevailing awareness that organizational contexts did not fall from the sky, it will remain uneasy if conditions are experienced as repressive and insufficient."

In this respect, there is a need to address the question of "how the God who is to become visible from the church thinks about freedom and dignity". Otherwise, the church is threatened with socio-political sideline, the theologian said. "But a positive decision then also has internal church consequences. And these must be pulled, if one does not want to become untrustworthy again."

While the bishops' suitcases are slowly being packed for the journey home in Lingen, others are reviewing the past four days of the spring plenary assembly. Much praise is mixed here and there, however, with a "but".

The highest lay representation of Catholics in Germany has reacted cautiously positive to the announcement of the German Bishops' Conference to launch a "synodal way" on power reduction, celibacy and sexual morality.

"It must be clear what is to be discussed and decided there," said the president of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), Thomas Sternberg, on Thursday to the Munster portal church-and-life.de. "If this were simply to be a discussion process with an open outcome, that would mean frustration. People want to see reforms now."

The plenary assembly of the bishops' conference in Lingen had decided on a "binding synodal path" for renewal and change in the church. According to conference chairman Cardinal Reinhard Marx, this path is to be organized together with the ZdK.

"We can imagine a synodical process without knowing exactly what that looks like," Sternberg said. In addition agreements are pending in the committees of the ZdK, "for example in the presidency and in the main committee, which meet next week". Above all, it must be made clear with what quorum such a body is to be equipped and that decisions taken are actually implemented. "It must not slip into non-commitment," warned ZdK president.

Sternberg conceded that he would have liked the plenary assembly of the bishops' conference to have had "the courage to really name the diaconate of women and the ordination of married men to the priesthood" as concrete reforms. Nevertheless, he said, he is glad that an administrative jurisdiction is to be introduced in the Catholic Church in Germany. "This is an important step on the way to overcoming clericalism."

Rorig urges swift implementation of measures on abuse

The Federal Government Commissioner for Abuse, Johannes-Wilhelm Rorig, has welcomed the measures taken by the bishops to deal with cases of abuse, but at the same time called for swift implementation over time. No more time should be wasted now, said Rorig on Thursday at the request of the Catholic News Agency (KNA) in Berlin. A clear timetable is necessary.

By the end of the year, he said, an agreement ready to be signed must now be worked out with him and the working group "Aufarbeitung Kirchen" (reappraisal of churches) set up at his office, in which the standards for reappraisal and uniform criteria for file inspection are defined. In addition, the bishops would have to agree bindingly on the participation of affected persons and clarify the open compensation regulation.

The success of the reappraisal would depend on the prioritization of the permanent council and of each bishop. The state side is well prepared. The Catholic Church owes it to those affected, almost ten years after the so-called "abuse scandal" in Germany, to finally establish clarity and commitment in the processing.

"The German Bishops' Conference has set out irreversibly," added Rorig. He also welcomed the fact that the church now wants to call on external support and help, both for coming to terms with the situation and for possible reforms of internal church structures.

Catholic women welcome bishops' plans

The Catholic Women's Association of Germany (kfd) has welcomed the decision of the bishops' conference to pursue a "synodal path" on power reduction, celibacy and sexual morality. The Catholic women are gladly ready to contribute their competences, said the deputy federal chairwoman Agnes Wuckelt to the Catholic News Agency (KNA) in Paderborn on Thursday.

It is important that there are more concrete results than in the previous discussion process, which lasted from 2011 to 2015.

Wuckelt particularly welcomed the fact that there will be a forum on sex education. The women's associations had already pointed out for decades that current research results from theology and social sciences had to find their way into church teaching.

The division of power and the breaking up of male hierarchies are also central ies.

BKU calls for faster and more decisive action

"People have been talking long enough, now action must follow that consistently does justice to the victims. This is the only way to prevent the credibility of the Catholic Church from being damaged even more after the cases of sexual abuse," explains meanwhile the chairman of the Federation of Catholic Businessmen (BKU), Prof. Ulrich Hemel. Dr. Dr. Ulrich Hemel.

The BKU welcomes the process of change that the German Bishops' Conference is initiating and continuing at its spring meeting. However everything goes forward very sluggishly. Where clear and quick decisions are needed, the usual system of tough debates and working groups is used. For the people, who already have critical inquiries to the church, a progress is hardly recognizable. "What alone can help the church in this situation is quick and decisive action, the clear naming of responsibilities, the admission of personal guilt, the prosecution of the perpetrators and the compensation and accompaniment of the victims."

This is where Hemel sees the difference in approach between good companies and the church. The organizational backlog of church structures is high in many areas compared to companies. The rules of good management (corporate governance) are partly unknown in church circles, but in the business environment they are standard practice.

The association criticizes the lack of clear steps and concrete timetables. In addition, there is sometimes a lack of willingness to openly address the ie of guilt and failure in all dioceses. Hemel notes with surprise that the bishops who failed to fulfill their duties in the transparency process would not be named. "This false restraint will not create new trust, but rather cement mistrust."

If a bishop thinks he wants to leave the general line of the bishops' conference, he must be able to publicly stand up for the reasons that led to his behavior. Otherwise, it would damage the process that has been initiated and the renewal of the church that so many people want. "We notice as BKU that the inquiries of our members to this topic become ever more urgent. Many of them combine shaken trust with demands for fundamental reform of church organization," Hemel adds.

Hemel again calls for the establishment of an ecclesiastical administrative court that would subject the actions of church offices to legal review. Such an instrument could help to strengthen the rights of those affected by church actions. This is particularly true in cases of abuse when it comes to enforcing claims for information and access to files, or when it comes to defending against the delaying of proceedings.

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