The highest Swiss cleric is irritated by the reform process in Germany. With his statement that he recognizes parallels to the “Third Reich”, he himself causes irritation.
Cardinal Kurt Koch is currently being criticized in Germany for a Nazi comparison.
(dpa) After the controversial statements with a reference to the Nazi era, the Swiss Curia Cardinal Kurt Koch has canceled his appointments for the weekend in Germany. This was confirmed by the Ellwangen pastor Sven van Meegen on Saturday of the German Press Agency. He telephoned Koch’s office in Rome after Koch’s statements became public. Several phone calls followed. Eventually the trip was cancelled. Among other things, Koch should have held a fair in Ellwangen on Monday. Koch’s office in Rome initially did not respond to a request on Saturday.
The 72-year-old cook had previously said in an interview with the “Tagespost” that it irritated him if, in addition to the recognized sources of the Catholic faith, new findings were to be consulted in order to adapt the teaching. “For this phenomenon already existed during the National Socialist dictatorship, when the so-called “German Christians” saw God’s new revelation in blood and soil and in the rise of Hitler.” The “German Christians” were a Protestant current that wanted to adapt Christianity to the racist ideology of the Nazis.
Pastor van Meegen said he was very surprised by Koch’s statements. «Any comparison with the time of National Socialism is out of the question. That applies to everyone at home and abroad.” Van Meegen spoke of 20 hate mails and threats of consequences that would have reached him by Saturday.
As part of the synodal path reform process, German Catholics are currently discussing whether Catholic teaching needs to be further developed in places. The church’s negative attitude towards homosexuality is in conflict with scientific knowledge. These must be taken into account, demand reformers.