Church in crisis: number of resignations in Murnau tripled - chairman of the parish council sets an example

Created: 02/24/2022, 07:00

By: Roland Lory

At the press conference: (from left) Martin Festl (vice chairman), pastor and dean Siegbert Schindele and Dietmar Knopp, candidate for the parish council.

© Lory

In turbulent times for the Church, Catholics elect their parish councils.

14 candidates are on the list in the parish of St. Nicholas in Murnau.

One person who is no longer running is Chairman Peter Braun.

He wants to send a signal that there can be no “business as usual” in the church.

Murnau

– The abuse report by the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising has caused a significant crisis in the Catholic world.

This is not least testified to by the large number of people who left the church.

This development has also left its mark on Murnau.

On the contrary: between January 1 and February 15, 33 people left the Catholic Church there.

That is exactly three times more than in the previous year.

In 2021, eleven Catholics had turned their backs on the church.

In total there were 104 in the previous year (2020: 82).

A walk to the town hall is enough.

The costs are 35 euros.

There would certainly be more favorable times for a parish council election.

But these will take place on March 20th.

In the parish of St. Nikolaus in Murnau there are 14 candidates on the list.

Over the next four years, the men and women will have a say in all matters affecting the local church.

The focus, however, is on advice.

"Dismay at the abuse cases"

Peter Braun, the previous chairman of the parish council, is no longer a candidate.

He gives personal reasons as well as other reasons.

"On the one hand, I have the opportunity to express my horror at the cases of abuse and, above all, the (non-)processing of them, on the other hand I want to send a signal that things can't go on like this." church leaders also registered or recognized that the church had a structural problem.

"So this also affects us." The church is at "absolute zero", Braun told the daily newspaper yesterday.

The ball is now with her.

The 53-year-old teacher has been chairman of the parish council since 2018 and has been a member of the committee since 2014.

However, the theologian who studied does not want to leave the church.

Then:

More than half no longer appear

More than half of the previous parish council no longer run for office.

The deputy chairman Martin Festl, on the other hand, does.

The abuse scandal makes the 21-year-old student quite thoughtful.

But he says: "There are always black sheep." He sees the beauty of the local church, the "great successes".

Dietmar Knopp (70) is one of those who has not previously belonged to the committee and now wants to work.

The lawyer and theologian has been living in Murnau for two years.

Previously, he was a member of the parish council in Königstein in the diocese of Limburg.

In Murnau, Knopp found a parish “that is very lively and does a lot for young people.

This isn't a club for gray-haired pensioners."

With regard to the abuse scandal, Knopp calls for more attention to be paid to the victims.

He is convinced:

Proof of trust from the parents

Pastor and Dean Siegbert Schindele is saddened by the "mighty wave" of church resignations.

He sees it this way: “If I resign, I will write off the church.

If I stick with it, I can help shape it.” The fact that the abuse scandal boiled up shortly before the parish council elections was “a big challenge”.

However, the clergyman sees it as a "great sign" that people can still be set up, according to the motto "Now more than ever".

The fact that a lot was swept under the carpet was a “big failure”.

But it is important for Schindele to emphasize: “You cannot portray the whole church as a gang of criminals.

If a coach abuses a child, the whole Bundesliga isn't dissolved either.” 96 percent of the clerics are “completely innocent”.

The Dean sees it as a sign of confidence on the part of the parents

that 56 young people have already registered for the Rome trip.

This takes place at Easter.

A thanksgiving service was celebrated in St. Nikolaus on Tuesday evening.

The outgoing parish council then met for the last time.

However, he will remain in office until the constitutive meeting of the new body.

The faithful can go to the ballot box on Saturday, March 19th and Sunday, March 20th, before and after the services.

The parish hall on Mayr-Graz-Weg is the polling station.

There is also the option of postal voting.

"You can request the documents in the parish office," says Schindele.

The candidates

The following people are running for parish council elections in Murnau: Martin Festl (21, student);

Martin Fischer (33, theologian);

Robert Frey (56, administrative clerk);

Gerlinde Fuhrmann (49, nurse);

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Julia Hofmann (49, doctor);

Dietmar Knopp (70, lawyer/theologian);

Christiane Lambrecht (57, business graduate);

Hannelore Lechner (74, housewife);

Jonathan Puls (17, student);

Robert Rieger (51, officially recognized expert);

Johannes Unterstein (71; pensioner);

Maria Schilcher (18, student);

Katrin Probst (52, housewife);

Roman Heinrich (47, teacher).

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