Shortly before the state elections, Bätzing, the president of the German Bishops’ Conference, warned against voting for the AfD in Thuringia: “The right-wing extremist party” is not worthy of Christians. He also criticized the BSW.
The president of the Catholic German Bishops’ Conference, Georg Bätzing, is again warning against voting for the AfD ahead of Sunday’s state elections in Thuringia and Saxony. “This party wants to overthrow our democratic, free system. I have to warn Christians about this,” the Limburg bishop told “Tagesspiegel”. For the supreme German bishop it is clear: “Right-wing extremist parties such as the AfD in Thuringia are not eligible for Christians to elect.”
Betzing pointed out that anyone who looks at the public statements of the party’s representatives and its programs comes to the conclusion that they contradict fundamental Christian principles. The AfD has become more and more radical over the past few years, Betzing said: “Nobody should be mistaken. The moderate forces were unable to assert themselves.”
Bishops’ Conference This is not the first time a clear lead has been seen
The German Bishops’ Conference warned against the AfD election at its spring general meeting months ago. “Right-wing extremist parties and those that extend to the fringes of this ideology cannot be a place for Christians to engage in political activity and be elected,” the bishops declared in unison.
The Sahra Wagenknecht coalition, which is participating in state elections for the first time, criticizes Batzing because of his Russia policy. “BSW speaks in favor of Russian President Vladimir Putin in a situation in which Russia has invaded a sovereign country and has been fighting a war for almost three years,” he said. Anyone who sympathizes with Putin despite “thousands” of deaths has no political rights and is endangering peace in Europe.
Batzing zu Solingen: “The deformation of religion”
The bishop also commented on the suspected Islamic terrorist attack in Solingen. Hatred and violence in the name of God cannot be justified; the act is a “perversion of the sublime religion”. Bätzing added: “There are no words for what happened in Solingen. We are shocked and looking into the abyss of evil.”