The first bishop of Magdeburg after the end of the GDR, Leo Nowak, declared: “We need reform and renewal.” Nowak is celebrating his 95th birthday on Sunday and made the comments in an interview on the website of his diocese, for which he who was responsible until 2004, was published.
“Regaining credibility is the order of the day,” emphasized the bishop. “This requires a great sensitivity to authenticity and trust. Some of the church’s behavior is simply no longer understandable to people today.”
“Religious language is often met with a lack of understanding,” he explained. “'Compulsory celibacy' or the ban on women being ordained as deacons and priests is met with incomprehension because equal rights for women play a major role in public society. This is also why the so-called 'synodal path' is a hopeful initiative. We need renewal!”
Regarding the discussions about the AfD, Nowak said, without going into detail: “The German Bishops’ Conference recently took a clear and unequivocal position …More