A reflection on life” “” “

Episcopal collegiality, female diaconate, abortion and Catholic counselling services, involvement of Christians in politics: these were some of the themes tackled by Cardinal Karl Lehmann, bishop of Mainz and president of the German Episcopal Conference, in replying to the questions put to him by the delegates of MEIC (ecclesial movement of cultural commitment), gathered for their congress in Rome in recent days. Lehmann is in the capital as delegate of the German Episcopal Conference at the general Assembly of the Synod of Bishops being held in the Vatican until 27 October on the theme: “The bishop: servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the hope of the world”. “We haven’t spoken much of the structures of the Church during the Synod”, replied the cardinal to someone who asked him a question on the theme of “ecclesial collegiality”. “One consequence of the terrorist attacks of 11 September – he explained – was just that of placing the existential problems – faith, meaning of life, struggle against violence – at the forefront of everyone’s reflection, including that of the synod fathers. It’s enough to recall that the general rapporteur of the Synod is Cardinal Edward Michael Egan, archbishop of New York. So the reverberation of the events in the United States was very strong even in the work of the Synod”. The German Church, Card. Lehmann pointed out, has recently been profoundly challenged by the problem of abortion and the role that could be recognized to Catholic counselling services on the matter. After the intervention of the Holy See, it is no longer permitted to these counselling services to issue the necessary certificate for a woman to be able to gain access to abortion. Nonetheless, Lehmann explained, these services still remain open in order not to squander the fund of valuable experience they have amassed and not to forget the help they have given to many women: “Perhaps we have saved from 5,000 to 12,000 children destined to be killed by abortion”, reported the Cardinal. On the female diaconate, the bishop of Mainz recalled the recent intervention of the Holy See: “Even though women have not been excluded on principle from the permanent diaconate, it is not prudent to anticipate any future decisions today”, Lehmann observed. As for the theme of Christian involvement in politics, the president of the German Episcopal Conference explained that in Germany “Christians are present right across the political spectrum”. It is therefore essential for the Church to “maintain her own independence and remain open to dialogue with everyone”. Very useful, said Lehmann, are the “forums where Christian laypeople meet together to discuss the main issues of social and political life”. “Political action – Lehmann explained – cannot immediately realize the gospel beatitudes on earth. But that doesn’t mean that Christians cannot work for the common good of society in the spirit of the beatitudes. Christians, in whatever political alignment they are involved, must enter politics inspired by these values”. As for the conflict in course, the cardinal recalled a document of the German bishops in which it is affirmed that “due to the existing power of weapons of mass destruction, it is not always possible to speak of a just war”. Military intervention, said the bishop of Mainz citing the same document, “is legitimate only on precise conditions: namely, that all the possibilities of dialogue have been exhausted; that the civil populations be properly safeguarded; that the objective defined for the armed intervention be achievable in the short term with proportionate means; and that a political process to follow the military intervention be prepared”.