A woman of conviction

adminonJanuary 12, 2022January 5, 2022Leave a Comment

She's feisty, she's straightforward, she doesn't let anyone or anything get in her way, and her heart is in the right place: Lea Ackermann. Hardly any other woman in Germany stands up so passionately for girls and women in need. Whether human trafficking, forced prostitution or sex tourism – the nun tirelessly raises her voice. Primarily with the help of her organization SOLWODI. Today she turns 75.

On that day in Boppard-Hirzenach, the headquarters of SOLWODI SOLWODI (Solidarity with Women in Distress – Solidarity with Women in Distress), there is a big party. "Because it is also Candlemas, we celebrate Mass beforehand, and afterwards a theater group performs a play," Ackermann recounts. "It deals with forced marriage and honor killings."Even in her "free time", she does not let go of the topic of women in need. When there's time to do other things, she likes to dance and read mystery novels.

Ackermann was born in Volklingen, Saarland, in 1937, the daughter of a construction company owner. As a child, playmates unflatteringly called her "Hexen-Barbel," and her tantrums were legendary. Schooling was followed by an apprenticeship at a bank. In 1960, after a night of dancing, she came to the monastery – quite unconventionally in an evening dress and pumps – and joined the missionary order of Our Lady of Africa. She studied theology and education, earned a doctorate in the latter subject and worked as a teacher in Rwanda and as an education officer at the international Catholic mission organization missio in Munich.

In 1985, her order sent her to the east coast of Africa. Shocked by the fate of the women in prostitution there, she founded SOLWODI. A success story: The association currently runs 15 counseling centers and 7 shelters in Germany, 10 counseling centers in Kenya and one in Romania. The record of her honors is long. In 2010 alone, she received three awards: the Rhineland-Palatinate Child Protection Prize, the Bavarian Order of Merit and the Itzel Prize. At 29. February follows the award of the Grand Cross of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Controversial and steadfast
For all the accolades, she remains feisty and steadfast. For example, when it comes to the role of women in the Catholic Church. She has repeatedly spoken out in favor of the diaconate for women and also clearly represents her own opinion, which often deviates from the Magisterium, in other internal church discussions. The current situation of the German Catholic Church makes it sad. But despite all the problems, she says, "Fear is a bad advisor."

But no one can accuse the jubilarian of fear. Nor is vanity. Thus she wishes for her birthday no gifts, but donations for SOLWODI. 'I want to use my birthday to collect donations'." She has one wish nevertheless: a successor for her. "She should bring knowledge of languages, business administration and pedagogy and be able to carry our demands into politics." And payment must be kept within limits, he said. In short: "I am looking for a convicted offender."

Buying or leasing a car: Pros and cons Buying or leasing? Choosing the right financing model when buying a car can save you a lot of money. However, an exact calculation of the costs is a must

If you are thinking about buying a car, you not only have the choice of model, but also the type of financing, which raises many questions. Should the new car be owned? Is enough cash available? Or should the car be rented for the long term?? Whatever you decide, each financing option has its own advantages and disadvantages. The editorial team wants to highlight both the positive aspects and the most important hooks and eyes for the various options.

Buying a car: important questions about financing!

When it comes to financing a car, there are a number of questions that arise right after the choice of model:

How high is your monthly budget??
Is cash payment without credit excluded? Then you should critically question whether you can afford the loan installments in the long term. Maybe a 0% financing is an option?

How can the credit risk be kept within limits??
To cover the risks of a loan in the event of unemployment, accident or death, you can take out residual debt insurance. This insurance is voluntary, usually expensive and increases the cost of the loan. Before taking out such an insurance policy, you should definitely study the waiting and waiting periods and, above all, the benefit restrictions. Insurance makes sense for very long credit periods, for example, when building a house, but less so for car financing. Existing private risk life, accident or occupational disability insurance also covers the risk.

Cash payment – with or without bank credit

0% financing – financing a car at a low price

If you buy a car with 0% financing, you take out a loan with a bank that works together with the car dealer. Only instead of paying interest to the bank for its expense, in this case the dealer or manufacturer will take care of it. After signing the contract, you pay a fixed monthly rate with a fixed term to the bank, but without the additional financial burden of interest.

The advantages: since a new car is a high investment, 0% financing helps you save money for the new car. You just have to pay the monthly rate financially. But the warm wind of money also has its dark side. Due to the zero-interest option, dealers have less room for discounts. The discount on the purchase price is therefore significantly lower. The dealer will also be very reluctant to distribute free extras for the car.

Leasing or vario-financing

Not only companies, but also more and more private individuals tend not to buy a new car, but to return it after an agreed period of time. Those interested in this type of "car rental" can choose between classic leasing or 3-way financing, also known as vario financing. The differences, advantages and disadvantages, as well as what makes sense when, are summarized here briefly.

In times of exchange bonuses and environmental bonuses, there is an increased demand for new cars. However, a large proportion of new car buyers are unable to pay for their vehicle in full in cash, which is why demand for car financing is also rising continuously. Those who don’t want to keep the car after the expiry of the term usually opt for a leasing contract. But there is also another option where a return is an option: 3-way or vario financing.

Leasing
with leasing you only pay for what you use, because the vehicle is rented from the dealer (lessor). You do not acquire ownership of the vehicle and return it after the agreed term. You can agree a down payment individually and thus reduce the monthly leasing rate to be paid. This rate is the usage fee for an agreed period of time. Therefore, it is usually lower than a credit installment, with which one acquires ownership of the vehicle.

You also have the option of choosing between different types of leasing so that you can tailor the vehicle to your individual circumstances. Leasing is an option, for example, when

Once again: the dispute between the Catholic Church and the Irish government has reached a new climax. A bill by Attorney General Alan Shatter provides the latest tightening up.

Under politician's plan, clergy must in future report any suspicion of child abuse to police, even if knowledge of it was gained in confession. Priests to face up to five years in prison for non-compliance.

Since the release of the investigative report into abuse cases in the Diocese of Cloyne on 13. July, church-state relations in Catholic Ireland are at an all-time low. The Cloyne report examined allegations against 19 clergy members made between 1996 and 2009. With the exception of two cases, the events took place between 1930 and 1990. The report criticized the fact that the majority of abuse cases were not reported to civilian authorities. On the very day of publication, Shatter introduced his bill.

Primate defends seal of confession
Conservative Prime Minister Enda Kenny also reacted: shortly after the publication of the report, he criticized the Vatican in unusually sharp words in a speech to parliament. Church-state relations in Ireland 'may not be the same' after revelations, Kenny says. Among other things, the politician accused the Vatican of letting the prosecution of crimes in Ireland go nowhere until 2008. He said the "raping and torturing of children has been downplayed" in order to save the institution's reputation.

In the diplomatic crisis that followed, Shatter's bill was all but forgotten until the Irish Catholic primate, Cardinal Sean Brady, defended the seal of confession in strong terms in a homily last Sunday.

In it, Brady stressed the importance of the "sacred and guarded" rite of confession. Any proposal that undermines the sanctity of the seal of confession is against "the right of every Catholic to freedom of religion and conscience". Monday, the Vatican voiced its support for Cardinal. "The Catholic Church in no way renounces the seal of confession," Vatican deputy spokesman Ciro Benedettini stressed.

The Irish Department of Justice reacted promptly: On the same day, a spokeswoman said the planned law would be implemented without regard to "internal rules of religious groups". The government is determined to pass the bill as early as the next legislative session, he said. "Precisely because so many suspected cases went unreported in the past, sex offenders were lulled into a sense of security and thus encouraged even more to continue abusing children," the spokesperson said.

"More likely to go to jail"
Irish Family Affairs Minister Frances Fitzgerald also reiterated to public broadcaster RTE that she intends to enforce the new mandatory reporting of suspected abuse in all organizations that work with children. Fitzgerald had already explicitly stated in July that mandatory reporting should not stop at the confessional.

The plans threaten to exacerbate the crisis between the Catholic Church and the Irish government. A priest from Londonderry in Northern Ireland, Paddy O "Kane, told the Belfast Telegraph on Tuesday that the island's Catholic clergy would rather go to prison than break the seal of confession.

"Of course, the protection of children must be ensured, but without the recognition of the special relationship of trust between priest and confessor, a clergyman can no longer properly exercise his ministry," he said. Unlike Republican Ireland, the seal of confession is respected throughout the world, O "Kane said. Fortunately, even in his Northern Ireland diocese, which falls under British law, he said.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply