The bishops of Bavaria, led by Franz Jung of Würzburg, maintain a united front amidst their differing theological stances. According to Jung, the atmosphere in the Freising Bishops' Conference is one of pragmatism, with the focus on resolving pressing issues such as future priest training, the preservation of theological faculties, and shaping religious education, irrespective of theological disparities.
The Freising Bishops' Conference includes archdioceses and dioceses from cities like Munich, Freising, Augsburg, Eichstätt, Passau, Regensburg, and Würzburg, as well as the diocese of Speyer. This diverse grouping paves the way for constructive interactions between their various theological leanings, resulting in a harmonious, goal-oriented work dynamic.
The conference contends with critical questions, such as the future of priest education, the preservation of theological faculties with dwindling student numbers, shaping denominational religious education, and handling financial resource shortages. Jung underscores that theological divisions do not factor in these decision-making processes. Instead, he emphasizes the importance of prudent decision-making and expert judgment to tackle these issues effectively.
Four years ago, the German Catholic Church initiated the Synodal Path reform process, aiming to introduce changes in sexual morality, the role of women, power dynamics, and clergy celibacy in response to the trust crisis resulting from abuse scandals. The Vatican has expressed its reservations about this development, with conservative German bishops like Hanke, Oster, Voderholzer, and Woelki from Cologne acting as staunch opposition forces.
Jung states that as a church, they stand firm against any form of extremism, especially when it concerns parties like the AfD, known for their xenophobic, racist, and anti-Semitic ideologies. In fact, the 2021 parliamentary council statutes for Würzburg prohibited any individual from playing a role in the church if they openly advocated or represented racist, xenophobic, or views contrary to human rights or were affiliated with organizations harboring such views.
During his address at the Freising Bishops' Conference fall plenary session in November 2021, Archbishop Marx denounced the presence of AfD supporters in church offices. However, no binding rules were proposed regarding this issue, at least for the time being. Bishop Meier of Augsburg sparked controversy by highlighting both the differences and the similarities between the AfD in the fall.
The vast wealth of information available pertains to the Würzburg diocese, with reports on clan family members being punished, warnings against talking to the police, Jutta's alleged murderer going to trial after 37 years, and a cousin's attempted assassination. These reports originate from reliable sources, such as the German Press Agency, August Baden-Baden, St. Michael's Church in Munich, and Stern Magazine.
