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According to the Pope's ambassador to Liechtenstein and Switzerland, Martin Krebs, there is polarization everywhere in the Church. But these differ according to country and situation. Some ies have less weight elsewhere.
"One reason for tensions in the Church is often the question of how to live the encounter between the Gospel and the modern world," the German Vatican diplomat told the portal katholisch.en (Wednesday). The Second Vatican Council had already taught that "this encounter is not only possible, but also necessary and beneficial – both for society and for the Church".
There are internal church disputes in all countries, "even if the concrete situations are different.
The Essen-born clergyman explained, "In very poor countries, people are less concerned with theoretical ies."There, it is "often a matter of simple, bare survival in many respects, so that other questions are dealt with more in the background. Similar problems exist everywhere, "but they do not manifest themselves in the same way everywhere".
"Also a service to other countries"
Krebs said, with regard to the topics that are particularly discussed in Europe and Germany, such as the diaconate of women or the blessing of homosexual couples, which are less in the focus elsewhere: "If, however, some local churches have the opportunity to think through and discuss such questions, then that is also a service to other countries. What the end result will be for poorer countries is "another story". Krebs, however, considers division of tasks "definitely advantageous".
Speaking about his mission as a papal diplomat, Krebs said, "It's not about presenting a church that we like because it's so beautifully compact and harmonious, but church is sent, church is mission, church goes outside. Church's outreach is important, Krebs says. But it is more important to see where one is needed. In the spirit of Pope Francis, he objected, "The Church is like a field hospital and should be dented rather than closed and comfortable clinging to its certainties."
Krebs most recently served as papal nuncio to Uruguay since 2018; he previously represented the pope in Mali and Guinea in West Africa from 2008 to 2013, then in New Zealand and the Pacific nations of Nauru, Tonga, Marshall Islands, Samoa and Fiji. Now he represents the Vatican in Bern.