Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, archbishop of the archdiocese of Munich and Friesing, has expressed his support for a policy of containing public expenditure. On the occasion of the traditional new year’s meeting of the archdiocese, Wetter declared on 23 January that “for a long time many have lived above their own means. It’s not possible to pile up mountains of debt for future generations”. Regarding the savings policy introduced by the Bavarian government (CDU/CSU, Christian-Democrat Union), Wetter declared: “We cannot permit the whole of our life being subordinated to profit and that indispensable aspects of life such as the family, marriage and education be increasingly marginalized or evaluated merely on the basis of economic advantage”. Above all, urged Wetter, “savings must not be made at the expense of the work of convincing others and setting an example in speaking of ethical criteria and the values of the person”, expressly referring to the right to life of the “unborn child” and “elderly, ill or incurable persons”. “We must not save at the family’s expense”, he said, warning: “We cannot weaken the family due to the need to save”. Wetter also expressed his position on the question of education which, especially at the university level, is currently being subjected to far-reaching reforms in Germany. In this regard, the cardinal emphasized that what is needed is “not just financial investments” but also “the human commitment of parents, teachers and schools”, as well as dedication, trust and exemplary conduct”.
