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Georg Bätzing, chairman of the German Bishops' Conference and Bishop of Limburg
Photo: Arne Dedert / dpa
In the opinion of the chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Georg Bätzing, the Christmas message opens up more in bad times than in good times. In his sermon on Christmas Eve in Limburg, which was widely spread in advance, the bishop quoted letters written by one of his great uncles in December 1944. The Catholic priest had the impression at the time that the Christmas celebrations had become more and more similar since the beginning of the war on the first Christmas night with the birth of Jesus in the stable. Because the privations increased from year to year.
"Doesn't that also go through the minds of Christians who are sitting in refugee camps somewhere on the borders of Europe?" Asked Bätzing.
"Or also the many families who are literally poorer today because they have lost relatives to Corona, other serious illnesses, disasters and accidents - or because relationships have broken?" According to Christian belief, the individual is never alone, but will always be borne by God.
"Christmas can be celebrated with such confidence," said Bätzing.
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