CSU party conference: Söder suggests more political reluctance to churches

After criticism from the Catholic and Evangelical Church of the Union’s course in migration policy, CSU boss Markus Söder has suggested more reluctance to political questions. The Bavarian Prime Minister also indulged that the Free State pays the salaries of the churches – and that the Union is the only party that is still on the side of the churches.

“Maybe you will take care of it as a Christian, maybe you sometimes take care of one or the other more Christian topics,” said Söder at a CSU party conference in Nuremberg. For example, he would wish for more commitment to paragraph 218, life protection. The criminal liability of abortions is regulated in this paragraph.

“Bavaria stands by the churches like hardly any other federal state. We are probably the most church -friendly federal state in Germany. Be it with crosses, religious classes, taxes – salaries that are paid,” said the Prime Minister. There are the most Christian holidays in Bavaria.

Söder to the churches: “Sometimes it doesn’t make us so difficult”

And then Söder said: “I know how plural churches are organized. Therefore no criticism, but perhaps as a small postpost: Don’t forget who is still at the side of the church. Suddenly thinks about it. ” Söder added: “We want to be partners of the churches and we also want to have churches in the state, but sometimes don’t make it that difficult for us.” In addition, the churches should not unsettle their believing Christians, added the CSU boss. That would be his “urgent wish and appeal”.

The Berlin offices of the two large churches had warned the Union and Union Chancellor Friedrich Merz with unusually clear words to accept AfD votes in the Bundestag for a harder course in migration policy. They also described the Union’s proposals in migration policy as partly illegal and unconstitutional.

The churches in Germany receive state benefits for the expropriation of German churches and monasteries at the beginning of the 19th century as part of secularization. In addition to Hamburg and Bremen, all federal states pay an annual sum to the Catholic and the Evangelical Church. This is regulated by respective contracts – such as the Bavarian Concordat. Bavaria regularly pays the highest state benefits to both churches.