"A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing": The Senior Bishop in Germany Attacks the Far-Right Party

The president of the German Bishops' Conference, Bishop Wilmer, attacked the far-right AfD party, which may form a government in Saxony-Anhalt. He declared red lines: the church will not provide a public platform to the party's leaders. Pope Leo supported the concerns, but Cardinal Müller warned against the political exploitation of spiritual authority.

The president of the German Bishops' Conference, Bishop Wilmer, sharply attacked the far-right AfD party, which may form a government in Saxony-Anhalt. In an interview at the Vatican, he declared red lines: the church will not provide a public platform to the party's leaders. According to him, the party's ethno-nationalist ideology is incompatible with Christianity and downplays the severity of Nazi-era crimes. Pope Leo supported the bishops' concerns. However, not all senior clergy agree: Cardinal Gerhard Müller warned against the misuse of spiritual authority for political purposes. The AfD calls for an end to state funding for churches, a potential severe blow to the Catholic Church, which spent over 537 million euros on humanitarian aid last year.