An aware minority

In former Ddr Länder, those who define themselves members of a Christian Church are just a quarter of the population. Nonetheless, both Catholics and Evangelicals display their willingness to reach out to their non-faithful contemporaries. In March’s issue of Herder-Korrespondenz, Norbert Zonker gave a snapshot on the different ecclesial presences in Eastern Germany. A summary by Irene Vogt.The two trends. “Two decades after the so-called “cross-roads”, ecclesial life in former Ddr underwent a major change. Both the Catholic and the Protestant Church, confronting secularization, were compelled to reconsider their role and the modalities of their institutional presence. “Out of approximately 16.5 million inhabitants, 3.5 are Protestant and 800,000 are Catholic”. This is a decrease for both Churches, which compared to 1990, saw their rank reduced by 40% (Protestants) and 30% (Catholics). In addition to demographic causes, the secular context plays an equally important role, as has emerged from a series of surveys carried out by “Religionsmonitor”. “There are two major trends: on the one side there is an awareness that public religious profession continued also during socialist rule and in the following years. The other trend is marked by resistance to religious contribution on the part of the majority of the population, however linked to intellectual openness vis à vis religious issues”. The “ecumenical effort”. Within this context bishops placed the emphasis on formation, in particular in the context of schools attended by students also belonging to a-confessional families. Another form of presence is represented by the celebration of anniversaries, like the “Elizabethan Year” or the anniversary of the birth of mystic Mechthild from Magdeburg. These have been occasions to express individual ecclesial awareness and implement missionary activity, through conferences, meetings and presentation. “In order prevent these events from being viewed as folklore or tourist attraction, they have been accompanied by initiatives granting assistance to the sick and to the poor along with moments of prayer”. “Events and civic exhibitions have equally become occasion to give concrete testimony of the ecumenical effort of the two Churches, like in the Bundesgartenschau (gardening exhibition) of Gera in 2007, attended by 150,000 visitors in the ecclesial pavilion”. At Pastoral and liturgical level we have identified initiatives aimed at contacting non-believers, such as the one by the auxiliary bishop of Erfurt who invites youth, especially non-baptized students of Catholic schools, “or couples of spouses and fiancés, whether or not they are believers, to blessing celebrations”. The bishops, figures of reference. “The Churches’ presence is perceived also in the care for the places of worship”, mostly run by Protestants. Church restoration and maintenance associations were set up, enhancing the Church’s role for the transmission of Christian culture and heritage. “The most evident example is the reconstruction of the Frauenkirche in Dresda, which has become a peace and reconciliation centre”. By paradox, despite this vitality, ecclesial communities are gradually diminishing: by 50% in Berlin and by 75% in Madebourg. “In this context, bishops are the points of reference to guarantee continuity”. In particular, at the times of the Ddr, the link between bishops and the faithful was an important element of unity within a context which was hostile to the Church. In this direction, the high pastoral profile of the bishops of Eastern Länder has become particularly significant. Drop in the number of religious. As relates to finances, in most dioceses fiscal revenues are not sufficient to cover expenses. For this reason in the year 2009, 600 people employed in the ecclesial apparatus will be losing their jobs. The presence of religious Orders passed from the surge in institutions and foundations in 1990, to the present decrease, mainly due to the decreased number of religious. “It is worthwhile pointing out the restoration of the Hefta Monastery of Cistercian nuns in Eisleben along with the Benedictine one in Huysburg, spiritual centre of the diocese of Magdeburg”. More ancient centres, such as the one of St. Marienthal gradually evolved into Centres hosting international meetings. “The presence of lay Catholics is not yet fully developed”, if we consider the few occasions in which the Katholikentage were organised in ex- Ddr: only in 1994 and for the future, perhaps in 2014. Relations with the Stae are marked on the one side by the undersigned concordats between some of the Länder and the Holy See (with Brandeburg in 2003), on the other by clashes caused by the legislative authorities’ lack of attention towards the Churches, in particular as relates to the teaching of religion in schools along with the law on the role to be granted to Sundays, viewed as an “exemplary case of cultural hegemony”.