Senate Pauses Attendance at Catholic Conference Amid Cancellations
The Senate recently faced criticism for its absence at the Autumn General Assembly of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) in Berlin. Typically, the host state's government sends a representative to such events. However, Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) had to cancel at the last minute due to a sudden obligation in Warsaw.
Unfortunately, the Senate found itself unable to provide a replacement for the mayor at such short notice. In response to inquiries by dpa, Senate spokesperson Christine Richter acknowledged Wegner's departure to Warsaw with the CDU parliamentary group for a closed-door meeting. Consequently, social affairs senator Cansel Kiziltepe (SPD) was scheduled to represent Wegner. Regrettably, Kiziltepe was too unwell to fulfill this duty.
The Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) serves as an umbrella organization for Catholic laypeople in Germany, headquartered in Berlin.
Although Governing Mayor Kai Wegner's cancellation left the Senate with no viable substitute, the critique towards the Senate's lack of attendance was swift and direct. In the past, the Senate had regularly dispatched representatives to attend such general assemblies.
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