The ecumenical day of German Catholics, reforms, Christians and Europe, and the need to abandon the market ideology: these are some of the issues discussed by the plenary assembly of the ZDK (Central Committee of German Catholics), held in Bonn on 19-20 November. Commenting on the German economic situation, Hermann Kues, ZDK spokesman for economic and socio-political questions, hoped for “more courage in implementing the government’s reforms”, since “the situation of our social security systems requires the need for decisive action”. To this end, Kues underlined the priorities identified by the ZDK, including the recognition of the activity of the education of children, pensions for women, and the prevention of poverty for the elderly. On the question of Christians and Europe, Hans Joachim Meyer, ZDK President, said that “the time has come to show in practice how Christian is the European tradition recalled by the Constitution”. Meyer spoke of “influential forces that want a secular Europe”, objecting that these forces “cannot be a reason for Christians not to continue to devote themselves energetically to the cause of European unity and to exerting Christian influence on the values of Europe”. On the national level, expressing the hope that politicians would abandon the radicalism of the market ideology, Meyer urged German Christians “to bring their own ideas to the debating table with greater commitment and to participate personally in putting them into practice in politics”.
