German bishops distance themselves from migration statement ahead of key Parliament vote

CNA Newsroom, Jan 30, 2025 / 08:45 am (CNA).

The German Catholic bishops’ conference on Wednesday distanced itself from a controversial statement against tougher migration policies issued by its Berlin office just before Parliament approved a motion on stronger border controls with support from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

In a 348-345 vote on Jan. 29, Germany’s Parliament approved a nonbinding motion calling for stronger border and asylum rules.

The measure passed with support from the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU), Free Democrats (FDP), and the Alternative for Germany (AfD).

A source within the German bishops’ conference confirmed to CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner, on Wednesday evening that an internal letter from Beate Gilles, general secretary of the bishops’ conference, said majority opinion among bishops had been to avoid public intervention in the election campaign.

The letter distanced the bishops from a document issued by the Catholic office in Berlin on Jan. 28, which strongly criticized proposed migration legislation.

The revelation came after Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg publicly disavowed the Berlin document, telling Communio magazine: “The current position statement against a CDU/CSU draft law does not speak in my name. I distance myself from it in every way.”

CDU leader Friedrich Merz, who introduced the motion, said the move was “necessary” despite criticism from Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who called the cooperation with AfD an “unforgivable mistake.”

Merz now plans to propose binding legislation on Friday aimed at curbing illegal immigration numbers in the wake of the most recent fatal stabbing attack in Germany, one of a spate of violent crimes by migrants that have inflamed public debate.

Divisions within German Catholicism

The controversy has highlighted divisions within German Catholicism regarding migration policy.

While the Berlin Church office warned of ‘’damage to democracy,” others like theologian Ludger Schwienhorst-Schönberger, recipient of the 2021 Joseph Ratzinger Prize, offered a different perspective.

“We are not obligated to do good to all people — simply because we cannot,” Schwienhorst-Schönberger told Cicero magazine, citing traditional Catholic moral theology principles about practical limits to charitable obligations.

Election context

With federal elections due on Feb. 23, polling has shown the AfD as Germany’s second most popular party. The party is variously described in the media as a populist, right-wing, or far-right extremist outfit.

The German bishops’ conference has previously declared the AfD “unelectable” for Christians, citing the party’s “ethnic nationalism” ideology — a finding the party has categorically rejected, according to CNA Deutsch.

Catholic members of the party have come under pressure.

The rise of the AfD reflects broader European trends, where parties critical of illegal migration, Islam, and leftist ideologies have gained significant ground, such as Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in France and Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom in the Netherlands.

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/261901/german-bishops-distance-themselves-from-migration-statement-ahead-of-key-parliament-vote