<span class="public-sans-sb">Support La Croix International and high-quality journalism</span> <br> <span class="public-sans-sb">Enjoy unlimited access to La Croix International</span> <br>In an increasingly secularized country, Catholic and Protestant institutions are losing influence in political debates. Amid the rise of the far-right party AfD, their interventions in the recent electoral campaign have sparked controversy within Christian communities.<br>During the recent parliamentary election campaign on February 23, the Catholic and Protestant Churches in Germany intervened twice in political debates. Their representatives in charge of relations with the Bundestag—<a href="https://international.la-croix.com/religion/germanys-christian-churches-concerned-about-stricter-immigration-law">Father Karl Jüsten for the Catholic Church and Pastor Anne Gidion for the Evangelical Church (EKD)</a>—took different positions (the former against the reform, the latter in favor) on the possible decriminalization of abortion, which the outgoing Assembly debated.<br>In a statement—this time a joint one—addressed to all deputies, the two religious leaders also denounced a resolution on “limiting migration flows,” presented by the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and passed with the votes of the far-right <a href="https://international.la-croix.com/world/european-elections-2024-in-germany-catholics-battle-against-far-right">Alternative for Germany (AfD) party</a>. For Jüsten and Gidion, this text was objectionable both in substance, as it was “likely to defame all migrants living in Germany,” and in form, as it went against the promise “not to provoke a vote in which the AfD’s votes would be decisive.”<br>This stance sparked strong criticism among the Christian Democrats, especially since the main body representing Catholic laypeople, the ZdK, published a similar statement. In response, former minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer resigned from this body, and two bishops known for their conservative views—Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg and Bishop Gregor Hanke of Eichstätt—stated that they had not approved these positions. In Germany, by tradition, bishops exercise restraint during election campaigns, limiting themselves to calling for voter participation without giving specific partisan instructions.<br>This debate, in fact, revealed a growing distance between the two churches, their lay representatives, and the Christian Democratic Union. “Until the 1980s, the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) was mainly composed of Christian Democrat figures,” recalled theologian Gerhard Kruip of the University of Mainz. “Since then, it has diversified, with more Social Democrats and Greens. At the same time, the CDU is now dominated by a liberal-conservative wing. Advocates of social Catholicism are a minority within it,” he noted.<br>Relations with the AfD, however, are nonexistent by principle. The two churches maintain no official contact with their representatives. Yet, the rise of this far-right party presents a real challenge for them. The AfD performs best in regions where the Churches have little influence, but it is also gaining ground within Christian circles. According to exit poll data from public broadcaster ARD, 20% of Protestants and 18% of Catholics voted for the AfD in the last elections.<br>This record-high level of support does not, however, change the course of action, according to Jüsten. “Because of its experience with National Socialism, the church has a great responsibility in the fight against right-wing extremism,” Father Jüsten explained to <i>La Croix</i>. “A rapprochement with the far right leads to normalization and ultimately increases the danger to democracy,” he argued. Last year, German Catholic bishops, for the first time, published a statement describing “ethnic nationalism” as “incompatible with Christian values”—a stance reiterated on February 11 in a joint appeal with Protestants and Orthodox Christians, titled “Defending Democracy.”<br>Despite these principles, the two churches are struggling to make themselves heard in a society where fewer than one in two people now identify as affiliated with either institution. “Our credibility has suffered due to sexual abuse scandals. As secularization increased and the number of Catholic deputies in the Bundestag declined, it is also harder to get our messages across,” Father Jüsten acknowledged. “But if the churches present strong arguments,” he insisted, “they will continue to be heard, regardless of the coalition in power.”<br><br><a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxOSlg0bjZuS1N2dVo0S0gtYWNvUklydGEwMW5ETXB1dUJ1cWNZU1RnR3RKSnZfSGtIc2FKSWNmNEhFM0E5ek9SaEhJbGIzZEVrWGs0RzBBM2dCMnF5UWJZTDZ1b3B5djZ3UXBJNzk5ZjlpM3czYnFabW9ZaFZZUXBtYnhBaWVRYzA3Zk9ndHc3M1pWZE1Pc3hFckc3RVdLMlNpWmc?oc=5">source</a>
