Church has become guilty

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Archbishop Heiner Koch © Harald Oppitz (KNA)

According to Berlin Archbishop Heiner Koch, the Church has been guilty of a lack of consistency in taking action against child abuse.

Sexual abuse of children is a crime that must be unreservedly clarified and prosecuted, with all consequence, Koch stressed on Thursday evening in Berlin. "That we have not done this is guilt and this is shameful."
Koch commented on the meaning of the "C" in the party in response to a question at an event organized by the CDU-affiliated Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

At the same time he emphasized: "We are not an elite church of the top 10.000 who live faultlessly."The Church of Jesus Christ is also the place where the weak and sinners have their place. But this should not be understood as a justification of sin. This becomes "dramatically clear on a day like today," the archbishop said. "Mercy is what we need" says Koch. However, he said, it was "not a free pass for mistakes, but an incentive to deal very, very seriously with us on these points.".

Breaches of duty by diocesan officials

On Thursday morning, lawyers had presented an expert opinion on the handling of abuse cases in the Archdiocese of Cologne. In 24 of the 236 files evaluated, the team led by criminal lawyer Bjorn Gercke identified breaches of duty by diocesan officials.

For example, the officials did not follow up on suspicions, did not investigate, or did not sanction criminal conduct. In no case was it a matter of obstruction of justice in the penal sense.

Among those accused are Hamburg Archbishop Stefan Hebe (54), who was formerly chief of staff and vicar general in Cologne, and Cologne Auxiliary Bishop Dominikus Schwaderlapp (53), also a former Cologne vicar general. Both dignitaries offered their resignations to Pope Francis as late as Thursday. They are thus the first bishops in Germany to draw personal consequences because of the abuse scandal.

Amaxophobia, the fear of driving, is quite widespread. Especially after an accident, many drivers are afraid to get behind the wheel again. We give you tips on how to boost your self-confidence after an accident and cope with problems when driving.

Panic attacks, clammy hands, racing heart and extreme nervousness – after a car accident, many people are afraid of getting into a dangerous situation again. Even a minor jostle in the parking lot can fuel fear of driving a car. Not always an accident must be the trigger. For some, fear of driving also occurs after driving situations or due to insecurity. Complicated stretches of road, freeway junctions or road works cause stress and extreme tension.

Realize that fear is perfectly normal in certain situations. An unclear overtaking maneuver or the close approach of a truck at high speed can easily lead to a queasy feeling for both driver and passenger. If the fear becomes so strong that you no longer want to get behind the wheel and avoid driving, you need to take action.

After an accident, you should not hesitate too long. Once you have developed an avoidance strategy, it is often difficult to break out of this vicious circle. It’s better to face your fear of driving head on and not wait it out. If you start therapy or treatment immediately, you have a good chance of driving again without fear and with pleasure.

What is amaxophobia?

Amaxophobia refers to the fear of driving a car or the fear of certain situations when driving a car. It is not a specific danger, but a non-specific fear of driving. The driver or passenger generally perceives driving as a threat and is afraid of a bad accident. While driving, thoughts constantly revolve around threatening or dangerous situations. If the person affected gets behind the wheel or in the passenger seat despite their fear, the body reacts with various symptoms.

The fear often arises from a traumatic accident. Sometimes, however, criticism from fellow drivers or the driving instructor can trigger amaxophobia. For a novice driver, an overprotective passenger may cause anxiety to develop. Whoever is on the road with a beginner should therefore show empathy and not criticize too harshly.

Physical symptoms of amaxophobia.

Wet hands
Strong heartbeat
Altered breathing

Tingling arms or legs
Altered perception of vision
Tension

Consequences of amaxophobia.

Those who are no longer mobile lose a large part of their quality of life. What used to be easy and quick to do with the car often becomes a real problem when the person avoids driving. If the car is constantly avoided, the affected person may eventually not get behind the wheel at all and the self-confidence decreases considerably.

Interview with a victim.

Participation in road traffic is, of course, associated with risks and dangers. Experiences or accidents, whether self-experienced or personal, can traumatize road users of all ages. In these cases, it is important to recognize the source of the fear – only then can the trauma be processed and overcome. We talked to a sufferer about her fear – and about how she got her driver’s license anyway.

What is the cause of your fear of driving??

"When I was 9 years old, I was the victim of a serious hit-and-run accident as a pedestrian. after that i developed a severe fear of traffic, especially of cars. At first, the fear only showed itself when crossing roads and as a co-driver. But the panic became especially intense when I later started to get my driver’s license."

How did you deal with this fear??

"As a pedestrian, I planned my routes so that I would rarely have to cross the street. When it was unavoidable, I crossed quiet side streets instead of main streets with a lot of traffic. I did not enter large parking lots with many cars at all. As a passenger, I always sat in the back because I couldn’t see the traffic there; in the front, the fear was too overwhelming. Of course, these were only avoidance strategies, which no longer helped when I became a driver myself."

What difficulties does your fear of driving cause you??

"Since I now have my fear well under control, there are only a few difficulties left. I used to panic regularly in the car. During the driving lessons I often let go of the steering wheel simply because of fear, to hold my hands in front of my face."

How did you overcome the fear?

"I have started behavioral therapy at the same time as my driving lessons. There, i got to the root of my fear and learned how to deal with it. I also had a great driving instructor who was very patient with me. So it took me a long time to get my license, but at the same time I got my fear of cars under control. the most important thing i learned is not to panic when driving, but to remain calm."

What tips can you give to other sufferers??

"I would advise anyone who has a fear of driving to consider therapy. It helped me immensely to identify the causes of my anxiety and to look at them in therapy. In addition, affected persons should visit a driving school. I told my driving school about my anxiety from the beginning, so I was assigned the instructor who had experience with anxiety students. He also told me that he has some driving students who practice safe and fearless driving with him, even though they already have the driver’s license. It helps a lot to have someone next to you who can take control of the car in an emergency!"

Stefanie J. Is 23 years old and lives in dusseldorf. She is currently studying for her master of arts in linguistics. Although she has been driving since she was 10. She suffers from a fear of cars since she was 4 years old, but thanks to therapy and many driving lessons, she has now had her driver’s license for 4 years.

Tips for more confidence behind the wheel.

Events at driving schools

You are not alone with your amaxophobia. Have a look around at local driving schools. Often there are special events and offers for anxious drivers here. a few driving lessons with a competent driving instructor may be just what you need in your situation, and you will regain your confidence with the help of the driving instructor.

Discussion groups with other sufferers

Share your experiences with others. At a discussion group for anxious drivers, they realize that amaxophobia is nothing to be ashamed of. Here you can also get valuable tips and advice on how to cope with your anxiety.

Therapy against fear

While in milder cases the exchange with other affected persons can already be helpful, some fear drivers need the support of a therapist. Face your fear with a professional in one-on-one behavioral therapy sessions.

Training for specific situations

For some riders, anxiety only occurs in certain situations. you avoid highways or high speeds. Get into these situations with an understanding co-driver and practice in a targeted manner. choose a quiet time with little traffic for your first training ride and increase slowly. It is important that the co-driver supports you in your plans and keeps calm. Do not rush onto the freeway according to the motto "eyes closed and through", but approach your goal cautiously.

complete driving safety training

Automobile clubs offer special driving safety training courses. If you are afraid of driving a car in wet or winter weather, this training will give you the confidence to deal with such situations.

Automatic makes driving easier

Insecure drivers often do better with an automatic transmission than with a manual car. an automatic transmission makes it easier to concentrate – you don’t have to worry about shifting gears.

Which strategy is suitable in your situation, you decide yourself. While the exchange with fellow sufferers is sufficient for some, a longer training with an experienced therapist is useful for other anxious drivers. Driving schools that work with a competent therapist or employ specially trained driving instructors are especially ideal. With the help of professionals, you will lose your fear of driving and enjoy getting behind the wheel again.

Conflict over say in rottenburg-stuttgart diocese

At first glance, the ie is privacy rights of employees and abuse. In fact, the employees' side in the Rottenburg-Stuttgart diocese wants to raise the ie of power in the Catholic Church.

Even almost unnoticed by the inner-church public, a dispute that is difficult to understand is making its way through the church's legal instances: The "Employee Representation of the Wurttemberg Commission for the Regulation of Diocesan Employment Contract Law" (KODA) is taking ie with the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, including Bishop Gebhard Furst, over the regulation for the prevention of sexual abuse.

However, this is not really about the sensitive ie of abuse, but solely about whether employees have a say in the drafting of such regulations.

In the judgment of the first instance at the diocesan level, the plaintiff's side was proven right: the diocese should not have simply ied the order, but should have first discussed it from the perspective of labor law in the commission, which is made up of equal numbers of employers and employees. Nevertheless, the order remained in force, but must be discussed in the commission in case of future changes and may not be decreed. The court did not allow an appeal.

Addressing power relations in church structures

The order ied in 2015 under considerable public prere provides for the obligation to submit an extended police certificate of good conduct for employees. While the diocese takes note of the ruling, the first of its kind in Germany, and intends to proceed in accordance with the court order in the future, the employee side, despite its partial success, is turning to the Ecclesiastical Labor Court in Bonn with a non-admissibility appeal. Both sides seem to think that it is very unlikely that the appeal will be successful. At least on that point there is agreement.

But what exactly is at stake? Do employee representatives want to undermine the legal standards for the prevention of abuse? No, says Thomas Munch, spokesman for the service employees in the KODA: "Quite the opposite." Prevention is extremely important. According to Munch, he rather wants to address power relations that exist in church structures and go "in the direction of absolutism and autocracy".

Munch, who is retiring at the end of the month, sees a fundamental need for reform of church labor law and calls, for example, for the possibility of norm control lawsuits. Not least against the background of the "Synodal Way" announced by the bishops, Munch apparently thinks the time is ripe to address ies such as inner-church democracy and to fight them out in court.

Munch sees that the problem of sexual abuse is rather unsuitable for such fundamental conflicts and can provoke many misunderstandings. "But unfortunately there was no other litigation available," he says dryly. According to his assessment, the debate is already bearing fruit. Other dioceses see that they always have to involve the KODA in matters of labor law.

Diocese assesses controversy as "completely unreasonable"

In the diocese, the controversy is judged to be "completely unreasonable" because there is largely agreement on the substance of the matter. Questioning the obligation to present a certificate of good conduct in order to discuss legal-theoretical ies is incomprehensible – factually and politically, he said.

This position seems plausible, especially since the church court, referring to the role of the bishops as local legislators, left the provision itself untouched. In addition, Vicar General Clemens Stroppel had promised in writing that amendments would only be included in the employment contract law and prevention regulations after a KODA decision had been made. Thus the non-admission complaint with the diocese management causes further irritations.

Nevertheless, the case continues. In Bonn, it can easily become autumn until the second instance has reached a conclusion. The case could be taken to the extreme if, after exhausting the legal channels available to the church, the employees were to choose to go to the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe – if that were permissible at all. But hardly any ie is currently so blatantly unresolved legally at the EU level as the question of how to deal with the different state-church relations.

At the diocesan level, a new resolution on the subject of the Preventive Order could be passed as early as July. It is quite possible that it will then be a question of factual ies: employee rights and prevention of abuse.

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