Promote unified action in dioceses

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According to the study on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church decreases from 15. September the Institute for the Prevention and Reappraisal of Sexualized Violence began its work. It should promote a uniform approach in all dioceses.

The leadership of the Institute for Prevention and Reappraisal (IPA) has the Trier Bishop and Commissioner of the German Bishops' Conference (DBK) for questions of sexual abuse in the ecclesiastical sphere and for questions of child and youth protection, Dr. Stephan Ackermann, inne.

The institute supports all German dioceses and is intended to develop impulses and standards for dealing with the topic of abuse together with scientists, specialist organizations, actors in prevention and intervention work and those affected by sexualized violence, thus promoting a uniform approach in all dioceses.

Importance of uniform standards stressed

Bishop Ackermann emphasized the importance of uniform standards in all German dioceses and the joint approach to preventing sexualized violence: "Through the current discussion and through our experience in dealing with the ie of abuse, we are learning how important national and international networking and cooperation with all church, social, political and scientific groups and institutions is."

A key task of the IPA will be to work with all "network partners" to develop tools for comprehensive monitoring of prevention and reprocessing projects. It also aims to launch quality arance tools for the prevention measures already implemented by the Catholic Church in Germany.

In addition, this interdisciplinary project is intended to promote a broad discussion of the topic of abuse in society as a whole. The establishment of the IPA is one of the consequences of the so-called MHG study, through which the Catholic Church in Germany wants to take responsibility for its own future actions.

Experience from the Archdiocese of Cologne

The establishment and management of the new institute will be taken over by the long-time prevention and intervention officer of the Archdiocese of Cologne, Oliver Vogt. Bishop Dr. Ackermann expressed great satisfaction in view of this personnel appointment: "I am glad that we were able to win Oliver Vogt for this task. As the first intervention officer in a diocese in Germany, he did groundbreaking work in the Archdiocese of Cologne over many years and established important standards in this area. This experience will be instrumental in the launch of the new institute."

Thanks to Cardinal Woelki

Cologne Archbishop Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki thanked Oliver Vogt for his work so far: "As a church, it is imperative that we regain lost trust after the abuse cases. For this, the introduction of uniform, high standards in the field of prevention and education in all German dioceses is important. Oliver Vogt has made a significant contribution by setting up the intervention agency. I am grateful for his support for the establishment of a victim advisory board in the Archdiocese of Cologne and the launch of an independent investigation into the abuse cases. For his important task at the new institute, whose work we will support, we sincerely wish him success".

"Cologne was the first diocese to create the position of an intervention officer and thus set a sign of orientation towards those affected," said Oliver Vogt. "I look back on a very trusting and good collaboration and will continue to support the Archdiocese of Cologne in my new role. In my current position, I will conclude the independent investigation that is still underway, present the results, and then switch to the new activity in its entirety."

The institute will be located near Bonn at Burg Lantershofen, Grafschaft.

Anger of a citizen against the police © Marijan Murat

There is much discussion about an allegedly "disinhibited" middle class in Germany following the controversial "Mitte Study" by the University of Leipzig: Researchers have different views on the state of the middle class in times of social challenges.

The crime statistics speak a clear language: according to the Federal Criminal Police Office, the number of right-wing crimes rose by around 30 percent in 2015 – committed even by people who had never previously come to the attention of the police as right-wing extremists. "There is a new type of perpetrator who crosses the threshold from ideology to attack without any intermediate steps," warned NRW Interior Minister Ralf Jager (SPD) recently at the presentation of the state's report on interception protection. A study by the University of Leipzig entitled "Die enthemmte Mitte" (The disinhibited middle) on right-wing extremist attitudes is therefore causing heated debate: Is this radicalization coming from the middle of German society?

Center polarizes

Quite right, say the Leipzig authors. It is true that right-wing extremist attitudes have not increased overall in the population: The proportion of people with a "closed right-wing extremist worldview" is five percent, the lowest figure ever recorded in the 14-year study series. But on the other hand, the measured willingness of right-wing extremists to enforce goals by force grew. And: Individual groups such as Muslims, Sinti and Roma, asylum seekers and homosexuals are more strongly rejected than in 2014. The center is becoming polarized: "We have people who are actively concerned about refugees, and there are people who actively reject refugees," says study director Elmar Brahmer.

A disinhibited middle? For Berlin-based extremism researcher Klaus Schroeder, "questions were asked far too sweepingly, and then scandalizing conclusions were drawn". More than one million refugees have been admitted in a short time and at the same time further immigrants have arrived as a result of the EU's eastward expansion. "The fact that this quantity scares many people does not turn them into radicals," says the political scientist, who considers the German middle to be "stable".

Majority of citizens satisfied with their lives

Most citizens are satisfied with their lives, "that can also be proven by surveys," says Schroeder, referring to a survey by the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research, according to which 91 percent of 30- to 59-year-olds rate their quality of life as good or very good. "For the fact that there are indeed new social challenges, German society as a whole is very moderate."

Personal bitterness, however, leads to hostile attitudes toward immigrants, as a study by the Munich-based economic research institute ifo shows. "Those who believe they don't get what they deserve in life worry more about immigration," says Ifo researcher Panu Poutvaara, who analyzed data from the Socioeconomic Panel for this purpose. "This also applies to people with regular incomes and to pensioners, who no longer even compete with new immigrants on the labor market." So the middle class is also worried.

Reversal of personal attitudes

However, the economics professor considers the good economic situation in Germany and the large middle-income class in comparison with the rest of Europe to have a stabilizing effect on society. "In countries with high unemployment, such as Greece, citizens become much more radicalized to the right, and nationalist parties are more popular.But here, too, populist groups are targeting the disaffected and stoking their fears.". "These are times of upheaval everywhere in Europe." Here, however, the climate is moderate, also finds Poutvaara. "There is, after all, also a lot of support for refugees on the ground."

And: If there is this contact with the newcomers, negative attitudes can even be reversed, as a research project from Austria shows. Economist Andreas Steinmayr examines the impact of neighborhood asylum seekers on support for the right-wing FPo, which doubled its support in many places after an election campaign focused on the refugee crisis. "If there are refugee shelters in the village, the support for the FPo decreases," Steinmayr says. At the same time, contact with refugees increased optimism that they could manage integration.

Coalition negotiations enter final round. The representative of the Catholic Churches in Berlin, Prelate Karl Justen, on the results of the working groups so far and the Church's expectations for a future grand coalition.

CBA: Bishops and associations have always insisted on freedom of choice in family policy: parents should decide for themselves. Against this background, how do you assess the agreements reached so far??

Karl Justen: The planned flexibilization of parental allowance and parental leave will give families more room to maneuver. We welcome that. We are happy if the childcare allowance remains in place. However, we would like to see it expanded even further. Furthermore, we hope that the CDU/CSU will not lose sight of its election promise to increase the child allowance and child benefits.

CBA: The CDU/CSU and SPD want to increase pensions for mothers of children born before 1992. However, like other services, this is still subject to financial conditions.

Justen: We know that budgets are finite. But the appreciation of the lifetime achievement of these mothers is an important signal for the appreciation of the family in our society. Women's associations, in particular, are rightly pressing for the elimination of the unequal treatment that has existed up to now.

CBA: A particular point of contention, especially for the SPD, is the question of adoption rights for same-sex partnerships.

Justen: The decisive criterion here is the best interests of the child. And we ame that children basically grow up best with father and mother.

CBA: Union and SPD want to fundamentally change the prostitution law. How do you assess this?

Justen: The reform is urgently needed. Church women's and social organizations had warned at the time that the regulations would primarily benefit johns and brothel operators and conceal the exploitation and power relationships that go hand in hand with prostitution. In addition to the protection of women, a major church concern is better exit assistance, not least for women living illegally in Germany.

CBA: The last government failed in its attempt to ban assisted suicide. The topic is completely missing from the draft coalition agreement.

Justen: This is regrettable, because a mentality is now spreading that puts not only the terminally ill, but also the elderly, frail or mentally ill under fatal prere to make decisions. Therefore, the legislator should make all forms of organized aiding and abetting punishable. What we need is more help for dying in dignity. Nevertheless, I am confident, as this ie is, by her own admission, a matter close to Chancellor Angel Merkel's heart.

CBA: In development policy, the CDU/CSU and SPD want to concentrate on the poorest countries. At the same time, emerging economies to be encouraged to take greater ownership.

Justen: First of all, we are pleased that the Ministry of Development will remain in place and focus on the fight against poverty and hunger. However, hunger and poverty continue to affect millions of people in emerging countries. That is why we must not slacken our commitment, even if they are emerging economies.

CBA: Possibly, competencies in the steering function of the BMZ should also be changed.

Justen: In the sense of coherent development cooperation, to which the CDU/CSU and SPD are also committed, the steering function should remain in the BMZ as the responsible ministry. This has proven itself and should rather be expanded.

CBA: The Lampedusa refugee drama and the Pope's visit to the island have shaken up Europe. Have the CDU/CSU and SPD drawn the necessary conclusions??

Justen: The tragedy has once again made it clear: The protection of human lives must have absolute priority over securing one's own national borders. Furthermore, refugees must not be turned back to persecuting countries, not even on the high seas. Germany has a powerful voice in Europe and should speak out more forcefully for these human rights.

CBA: What about the distribution of refugees in Europe according to the so-called Dublin II regulation?

Justen: The conditions in Greece, Malta or Italy show: We urgently need a more solidary distribution system, in which all EU states participate according to their possibilities. European asylum system needs reform. This is one of the great challenges for the church in the coming years.

CBA: One of the church's concerns was the lifting of chain toleration. See progress here?

Justen: We welcome the path that has been taken, which provides for a regulation without a deadline for young tolerated persons. In the future, this regulation should also apply to adults who have been tolerated for many years. Otherwise, their numbers will continue to rise. At the same time, we should set realistic requirements for a right to stay, for example in securing their livelihoods.

CBA: Should there be legal ways of access to Europe?

Justen: For some, this could be an alternative to the life-threatening journey across the sea and thus also counteract the smuggling of migrants. The creation of legal access routes could also be interesting for Germany in view of demographic developments.

CBA: In a grand coalition, arms policy should become more transparent. Churches have long called for this. Do the agreements go far enough?

Justen: We would have wished for more. But we expressly appreciate the intentions of the grand coalition: Parliament is to be more involved and the government wants to provide more timely information on arms exports. We hope that this will also lead to more stringent compliance with the criteria for arms exports. We are concerned, for example, about the increases in small arms in the latest report on arms exports.

CBA: In education policy, the federal government wants to provide more funding for the educational institutions of the states.

Justen: That's good, because many countries are at the edge of their breaking point. However, the independent organizations must not be forgotten.

The interview was conducted by Christoph Scholz.

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