Debate on migration: In the conflict of asylum with the churches, the CSU can only lose

I n Aschaffenburg he came to a scandal in the fair. Pastor Markus Krauth of the parish of Maria Geburt in the district of Schweinheim attacked Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) at the end of April in the service of the first communion because of the decree on the crucifix. This criticism did not correspond to certain parishioners. During the sermon, there would have been indignant interjections.

Later, some citizens complained publicly about the pastor's attacks. On Facebook, the Bavarian Minister of Justice, Winfried Bausback (CSU) wrote that a sermon had been "abused" in order to express an opinion in a sordid and completely inappropriate way.

Outside the fair, there are now often problems in Bavaria churches and the CSU. On the one hand, the Crucifix Ordinance, which many Christians criticize as a means of capturing their religion for a conservative identity politics that tends to be anti-immigrant.

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On the other hand, there is alienation because of the refugee policy. As CSU politicians accuse churches of promising many migrants a good life in Germany. MP Thomas Goppel wrote in a text for the Seniors' Union: "Doing Christian politics does not mean promising the rest of the world anything that any of us can hold."

Conversely, many in the churches think that CSU has a tendency to recognize foreclosure in cold heart. Not only do the dignitaries want it, but even the laity of the Diocesan Council of the Archdiocese of Munich express their dissatisfaction with the UHC line. Party members are in agreement, for example, the former Bavarian Minister of Culture, Hans Maier. The 87-year-old man complained in the "taz" that in his CSU "all that is Christian is getting confused".

The Protestant church shares the criticism. The regional bishop of Bavaria, Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, head of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), points out in a conversation with WELT that it is not a problem. 39, affiliation to a party, but "of the cause". There have been "controversial discussions with CSU politicians about how the issue of migration is treated in public".

There is the word choice first. Many Christians found it uncomfortable that the Federal Minister of the Interior, Horst Seehofer (CSU), had welcomed 69 deportations on the occasion of his 69th birthday and that Söder had adopted the term "tourism". ;asylum". "Some remarks," says Bedford-Strohm, "have raised fears that empathy will be lost."

"We must never forget that refugees are people whom we Christians say they are created in the image of God, "says the bishop. "Even within the CSU, especially in church-related circles, we have rightly complained that in recent months the discourse in the public debate has been changed to win back the voters of the United States. AfD But that turned out not only unsuccessful, but also in the content was inappropriate. "Because the Christian orientations that" in the name of the party are held with the CSU ", included there. commitment to "use appropriate language".

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Similarly, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich-Freising, Catholic colleague of Bedford-Strohm. "In my opinion, we should all go to the right, because the spirit of time is shifting to the right – that is what I think is a bad evaluation," said the Conference Chair German episcopal "Zeit". Marx called Seehofer's "69" remark "highly inappropriate". And about the term "asylum tourism" from Söder, the cardinal said: "It looks like there are people on vacation." "Many would die on the way."

But these are not just a few tights of church wrestling. On the contrary, discontent has a broad base. On the one hand, because there is a long tradition of social liberality in Bavaria among Catholics, especially in the Munich area. And he is fashioning more and more churches since popular piety fades. Simply because of religious indifference, regardless of party preferences, many do not feel like community life. So this is largely guaranteed by those who draw extra impulses from liberal attitudes (left).

They are sensitive to the feeling that the CSU wants to use the crucifix decree to occupy the Christian. Bedford-Strohm points out that, according to Söder's decree, "from the beginning I rejoice in every cross in public buildings, but this cross also implies commitment". The cross should be "orientation for action and speech". Still in the migratory conflict.

"In recent months," continues the bishop, "in terms of refugee policy, UHC has never heard of how to keep refugees away from us." On the other hand, there is little talk of "that we also have a humanitarian obligation to receive". It expressly supports the need to manage migration, but it does not relieve people of the responsibility of those who need it. "Therefore, it's not that you are rejecting people at the borders, without having agreed on clear rules, which happens to them then."

UHC is now covered by the dispute. Current badessments can not be obtained from leading party politicians. So you have to stick to what Bedford-Strohm says. That "with politicians CSU continuously intensive discussions" would be conducted even in a small circle without advertising. "Such discussions are always good," says Bedford-Strohm. He praises the fact that Söder no longer wants to talk about "asylum tourism". The bishop is "very confident that there are learning experiences from both sides in the talks."

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There is crucial that the church in these talks "Christian fundamental positions" bring. "What concrete policy follows from it, which is open in spirit and objective to discuss without prohibitions of thinking, but always to Christian measures to be measured," says Bedford-Strohm. Where is the EKD: has just visited one of the main Protestants, President Rhine Manfred Rekowski, in Malta. He described as a scandal the fact that private salvage ship operators "are prevented from exhausting their facilities and doing their important work."

For CSU, it has become difficult to speak publicly about such positions. If the CSU contradicted, it probably drives even more liberal Christians to the Greens, who are already in a poll for the 16% state election. But if the CSU again meets the churches in refugee politics, then the risk of being a "fall victim" would increase, so that advocates of a closure policy would make more and more appealing to the AfD.

To give contraindications. According to the parliamentary election platform, the AfD demands in refugee politics "to prevent asylum in the church and to prosecute those responsible for the eventual granting of". asylum in the church ". In addition, the party wants churches to abolish money and disputed state services. The churches receive in most of the federal states, regardless of church taxes the state budget on the basis of agreements sometimes over 100 years.

By 2018, these state benefits will rise to just under 98 million euros for the two Bavarian churches. The pursuit of this "state support to official churches," it is said in the AfD program, "is neither timely nor appropriate". CSU will not participate. But it is the question of whether it is enough for them in their tense relationship with the two churches to save them financially.

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