Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] German church tax is funding a ‘Marxist’ religion of heretics and schismaticsCatholic priest Fr. Joachim Heimerl argued that the bishops in Germany 'cling to the church tax like the devil to a poor soul. After all, the tax system has made the Church in Germany incredibly rich but equally faithless and decadent.'Anyone who is baptized and confirmed and who professes the faith of the Church is Catholic. In Germany, as is so often the case, things are quite different. Here, you are only Catholic through the church tax, at least if you are a taxpayer.This tax is by...

[Catholic Caucus] Four Heroes of Hypocrisy: How the President of the German Bishops Will Present HimselfThe Diocese of Limburg, Germany, headed by Georg Bätzing, the President of the German Bishops, has invented four figures for its presence at the 'Katholikentag' in Erfurt from 29 May to 2 June.The 'Katholikentag' is a festival-like national gathering of 'Catholics' in Germany that takes place about every 2-4 years.Bätzing's four heroes are: Fantastic Rainbow, Dr Future, Captain Liberty and PaxMan (all names originally in English). Participants in the Katholikentag can have their picture taken with them.The characters are drawn by an illustrator who trained...

In several German states including Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, and Hamburg, around three-quarters of benefit claimants are either first- or second-generation migrants, suggesting that mass immigration of low-skilled workers is not a net benefit to Europe's largest economy.. Nearly two-thirds of German residents receiving unemployment benefits have a migration background, new figures from the Federal Employment Agency have revealed. The statistics published by the federal agency and cited by the Die Welt broadsheet showed that 63.1 percent of those in receipt of the so-called citizen’s income, or “Bürgergeld,” are of migrant origin, and “most do not have a German passport.” The German...

[Catholic Caucus] German priests do not support Synodal Way, new study findsPriests in Germany are not supportive of the controversial German Synodal Way, according to a new study commissioned by the German Bishops’ Conference.The study, officially titled “Who Becomes a Priest?”, found that priests are “alienated from the concerns of Church reform,” lead author Matthias Sellmann said on May 17.“Priests are also clearly not supporters of the German Synodal Way,” Sellmann emphasized. According to a statement by the bishops’ conference, the study aimed to investigate “the socio-religious background and motivations of newly ordained priests in order to make strategic personnel...

[Catholic Caucus] German bishop attacks Church teaching for upholding ‘only man and woman,’ demands changes to CatechismPro-LGBT Auxiliary Bishop Ludger Schepers of Essen insisted that ‘something has to change’ in the Church regarding sexuality and that the ‘Catechism must say different things than it does now,’ in the latest heterodox remarks from the German hierarchy.A German bishop criticized Catholic teaching for “assuming there is only man and only woman” and demanded that the Church change its infallible doctrine on sexuality in the latest heterodox comments from the German hierarchy.Bishop Ludger Schepers, an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Essen, who...

Heretical German bishop says abortion is a ‘sensitive’ issue, will not participate in March for LifeBishop Stephan Ackermann defended Germany’s abortion regime as leading to ‘societal peace’ despite around 100,000 children killed in abortion every year and criticized strong pro-life advocacy, citing ‘a woman’s right to self determination.’The bishop of Trier has said that he would not participate in the March for Life because abortion is a “sensitive” and complex matter, citing “a woman’s right to self-determination.”In an interview with the German radio station Deutschlandfunk on April 29, Bishop Stephan Ackermann was asked about the recent March for Life in...

[Catholic Caucus] A German Bishop: Words and Deeds Can Contradict Each OtherHomosexual [pseudo] blessings are the beginning of a further "development of doctrine", Monsignor Helmut Dieser, the Bishop of Aachen, Germany, told Katholisch.de (19 March).The term "development of doctrine" is often used by heretics to mean "betrayal of the faith."Monsignor Dieser says that with the text 'Fiducia Supplicans', Francis has made it clear "that action does not have to reflect doctrine one-to-one". He overlooks the fact that this is the definition of hypocrisy.For him, 'Fiducia Supplicans' indicates "indirectly" that the doctrine has a potential for "further development" [he means: disintegration]....

German Bishops Wade into Party PoliticsNot content to only promote heresy, now German bishops are bringing their non-Catholic sensibility to the realm of politics.American English speakers are familiar with the axiomatic question Is the pope Catholic? Applied instead to the bishops of Germany, the answer isn’t obvious. The recent announcement of a commission for “queer” pastoral care is the latest in a long line of heretical ventures from Luther’s homeland. From a theological perspective, there is little to add to assessments like Dr. Regis Martin’s here. However, when these heterodox bishops venture into the realm of secular party politics, they...

[Catholic Caucus] Wonderful Diversity: OFM Provincial Proclaims His "Homosexuality"Father Markus Fuhrmann, OFM, head of the 200-member German Franciscan Province, has told urbi et orbi that he is a "homosexual".He explained his confession to Katholisch.de (12 March) by saying that "I had to change something for the sake of my own honesty". Katholisch.de is run by the German bishops.Already in January 2022, Fuhrmann took part in 'OutInChurch', a homosexual propaganda campaign by about 120 employees of the "Catholic" Church in Germany, which employs about 650,000 people (including 'Caritas').Five months later, when the provincial chapter had to elect a new provincial, Fuhrmann...

[Catholic Caucus] German Bishops Introduce a Chief-Ideologue for Homosexual Sins and "Easier" Liturgical LanguageThe German bishops have appointed a representative for "homosexual pastoral care", an office nobody needs.At the same time, normal believers are running away in droves and nobody cares.Presiding Bishop Georg Bätzing announced on 22 February that Ludger Schepers, a homosex-activist and auxiliary bishop of Essen, will take on the role, whose main task is to please the powerful bosses of the homosexual propaganda regime.Propagandists of homosexual sins ("Queer Pastoral Care") already exist in individual dioceses. Now this circus is being raised to the level of the Bishops'...

[Catholic Caucus] German seminary rector says he allows openly homosexual men to enter, become priestsFr. Wolfgang Lehner of Munich’s Seminary of St. John Baptist admitted that he accepts public homosexuals as seminarians and priests, directly contradicting the position of the Catholic Church.The rector of the Catholic seminary in Munich has said that he allows openly homosexual men to enter the seminary and be consecrated as priests, contrary to the teaching of the Universal Church. When asked in an interview by the local news outlet Münchner Kirchenzeitung how he deals with candidates who are openly homosexual, Fr. Wolfgang Lehner said, “It...

The struggling German population should be forced to pay a Ukraine tax to continue funding the war against Russia, a top economic advisor to the government has argued. Monika Schnitzer, the chairwoman of the German Council of Economic Experts, an advisory body to the government known locally as the “five sages” of the economy, declared this week that a special tax to send money to Ukraine should be added to the already hefty income tax levied against to population.

[Catholic Caucus] Did Pope Francis Rebuke the German Synodal Way? German Catholic ResponseThe reader may have already heard of the events that have been prominent news in German Catholic media lately. Apparently the main takeaway in the Anglophone world was: “Pope Francis Rebukes the Synodal Way!” However, that news is more ambivalent than suggested at first sight.German Catholics have been suffering under the so-called synodal way for a while. Officially the project was meant to deal with the sexual abuse scandal, which it did only ever so sparsely. Mostly, the fora dealt with the common topics of “reform debates.” We...

“Tagespost" exclusive: Rome Opens the ParachuteDie Tagespost November 24, 2023Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin informs the German bishops that the ordination of priests reserved for men and the Church's teaching on homosexuality are non-negotiable - a German special path is therefore The German bishops have received a clear message from the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin that the Vatican is not considering negotiating the letter "Ordinatio Sacerdotalis", in which Pope John Paul II confirmed the exclusion of women from ordination to the priesthood in 1994, or the Church's teaching on homosexuality in upcoming talks with a delegation of...

[Catholic Caucus] German bishop authorizes same-sex blessingsBishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann wrote to diocesan priests, deacons and lay pastoral workers saying that the blessings – which he also extended to remarried couples – could take place in churches in the Diocese of Speyer. “The ceremony must differ from a church wedding ceremony in terms of words and signs and should explicitly reinforce the love, commitment, and mutual responsibility in the couple’s relationship as an act of blessing.”

German Bishops Conclude Tense Gathering With All Eyes on Synod on Synodality in RomeAs the Synod on Synodality approaches, the Catholic world will be watching how Germany’s controversial Synodal Way integrates (or collides) with the global Catholic event. As German bishops wrapped up their plenary meeting on Thursday with a final press conference amid tensions over same-sex blessings and a whole host of underlying issues, the focus was clear: All eyes were turned toward the fraught relationship with Rome and the forthcoming Synod on Synodality. Bishop George Bätzing of Limburg, president of the German Bishops’ Conference, took public issue with...

Michelle Obama delivered a one-hour speech at a tech fair in Munich, Germany, earning a staggering sum of nearly $750,000. The former first lady received this substantial compensation for addressing a startup event held alongside the famous Oktoberfest beer festival, according to sources closely connected to the conference organizers, the Daily Mail reported. The Bits & Pretzels conference spanned three days, offering a platform for founders of both national and international companies to share their journey to success.

Co-organizer of CSD: "Didn't ask the bishop for permission"A Christopher Street Day (CSD) is an event for homosexual, bisexual, transgender and intersex people to celebrate their sexual orientation and gender identity. The first CSD took place in the small town of Haltern am See in the diocese of Münster – organized by the Catholic parish and Caritas. Pastoral consultant Georg Kleemann was in charge of preparing the event and explains in an interview why he thinks it is logical that the church was responsible for the CSD.Question: Mr. Kleemann, the first CSD took place in Haltern am See on Saturday....

A Berlin housing association is scheduled to complete its latest block of social housing apartment buildings in the German capital next spring, but they are currently reserved exclusively for use by asylum seekers, it has emerged. The 128-apartment complex on Askanierring in the Spandau borough is expected to be opened by the Wohnungsbaugesellschaft Berlin-Mitte (WBM) housing association in May 2024, but will first serve around 570 refugees expected to move in indefinitely before it is available for Berliners currently on the social housing waiting list. WBM Managing Director Dormeyer recently praised the project as “contributing to the integration of refugees”...

German archdiocese celebrates ‘ecumenical requiem’ for melting glacier with female Protestant ‘pastor’The event was held on July 25 at the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain.Ecumenical requiem service for a glacier, Bavaria(LifeSiteNews) — The Catholic Archdiocese of Munich and Freising has celebrated an “ecumenical requiem” for a glacier together with members of the Evangelical Church. The event was held on July 25 at the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain, to bid farewell to the “glacier status” of the Schneeferner and to “draw attention to the consequences of rapidly advancing climate change and the importance of preserving creation,” according to a press release by...