“Having a say in all matters”

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Catholic youth associations demand more co-determination of young people © Cristian Gennari (KNA)

German-speaking Catholic youth associations join forces to call for change and more say in shaping church. The paper is to be the basis for the upcoming youth synod in the Vatican.

Those responsible for Catholic youth work from German-speaking countries demand changes in the church in a joint declaration. Among other things, one speaks out for more co-determination of young people, for the recognition of different sexual orientations and gender diversity, as well as for a transparent church, announced the Federation of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ) on Sunday in Munich.

Joint declaration of the German-speaking youth associations

Accordingly, the declaration is signed by the BDKJ, the Catholic Jungschar of South Tyrol (KJS), South Tyrol's Catholic Youth (SKJ), the Catholic Youth of Austria (KJo) and representatives of youth pastoral from Switzerland. The joint declaration is the result of the first networking meeting of representatives of church youth work from the German-speaking countries, which took place from Friday to Sunday in Munich.

The BDKJ had organized the meeting, according to its own information, in order to develop a common position of the German-speaking Catholic youth work for the upcoming youth synod and to examine the possibilities of a permanent exchange. At the synod want from 3. to 28. October Bishops meet on the topic of "Young people, faith and vocational discernment.

"Open culture of conversation"

The BDKJ Federal President Thomas Andonie explained: "With this paper we bring the perspective of children, adolescents and young adults into the current discussions. Young people must have their own spaces in the church, and it must be possible for them to have a say in all matters."

Magdalena Bachleitner, honorary chairwoman of the Catholic Youth of Austria (KJo), added: "We wish the bishops and synod fathers the same open culture of discussion and the courage to address sensitive ies as we have done this weekend."According to the BDKJ, the networking meeting was sponsored as an international exchange of experts with funds from the Federal Child and Youth Plan. (CBA)

In the case of Priest Jansen, who was placed on leave over abuse allegations, Cologne Cardinal Woelki defended the archdiocese's action. In the newspaper interview, he rejected accusations that the priest was being punished.

The archdiocese had suspended 73-year-old pastor Winfried Jansen from his pastoral duties in early February over allegations of "sexual boundary violations" in the 1970s. Cardinal Woelki told the "Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger" that accusations that the archdiocese wanted to finish Jansen off with this are "completely abstruse". "We have examined very carefully and calmly," said Woelki.

The procedure would apply the bishop's guidelines for dealing with sexual abuse. It is therefore "transparent and verifiable," Woelki stressed. Among other things, the priest is accused of sexually violating the boundaries of a then nine-year-old girl in the early 1970s.

Don't add to the burden on victims

Woelki pointed out that since then more victims had come forward because of sexual border violations. The suspended priest also realizes in the meantime that he "did not behave correctly". The archbishop stressed that for him it was crucial that those responsible for the diocese had acted "to the best of their knowledge and conscience".

"We could not disclose everything we know about what happened at that time out of consideration for the victims. That might have contributed to a greater understanding by the community of what we were doing. But it would have increased the burden for the victims, which the public attention alone means for them," Woelki said.

Sharp criticism of the archdiocese

Therefore, the archbishop said, he must "endure being accused of defamation or character assassination, for example.". Several criminal charges were filed with the public prosecutor's office against him as well as against the archdiocese's press spokesman, Christoph Heckeley, and Vicar General Stefan Hebe.

In the parish in Erftstadt, many parishioners had backed the accused clergyman and voiced partly sharp criticism of the archbishopric. Woelki announced that the auxiliary bishop responsible for the region, Manfred Melzer, would travel to Erftstadt twice in March and April. The accused priest has been relieved of his duties until the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican has ruled on his case.

The Catholic relief organization Misereor criticizes the planned death penalty for homosexuals in Uganda. The bill, popularly known as the "Kill the Gays" bill, is reportedly expected to be passed before the end of the year.

"For Misereor the principle applies that human rights are indivisible. And that guides us also in the question of dealing with homosexuals around the world," said the head of the department Africa and Middle East, Maria Klatte, on Friday to the portal catholic.de. The fact that Uganda is now apparently once again attempting to introduce the death penalty for homosexuals is shocking, he said.

"The death penalty is forbidden for us as a Christian organization anyway," Klatte continued: "In the sense of the indivisible dignity of man, Misereor also condemns the persecution of homosexuals."Should the law actually be passed, the aid organization will not withdraw from the country, but will continue project cooperation with its Ugandan partners – "because the plight of the people in the country remains".

Penalties had been significantly increased

Parliament in Uganda had last tightened legislation against homosexuals in 2013. At the time, penalties for homosexual acts had been significantly increased despite international protests; however, parliament had not introduced the death penalty for homosexuals. A year later, the Ugandan Constitutional Court overturned the law on formal grounds.

According to media reports, the government justified the new attempt to tighten the penalties with an increase in "unnatural sex", which it wanted to combat. Homosexuality is not in the nature of Ugandans, but there is "massive recruitment by homosexual people in schools," media quote Ethics and Integrity Minister Simon Lokodo as saying.

Homosexuality completely rejected in many cases

The law, known locally as the "Kill the Gays" bill, is reportedly set to be passed before the end of the year. Klatte stressed that homosexuality is "not an easy ie" even in the Catholic Church in Africa.

In many cases, it is referred to there as a "Western concept of life" and completely rejected. "A de-tabooing and objectification must be achieved here," the Misereor expert demanded. In the dialogue with the African church, too, an approach must be pursued that prohibits discrimination against homosexuals.

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