Wilmer, head of the German bishops, calls for reconciliation at Dresden service
Bishop Heiner Wilmer of Münster, president of the German Bishops' Conference, said at a service in Dresden that only a greater desire for reconciliation can overcome growing divisions in society
Heiner Wilmer, bishop of Münster and president of the German Bishops' Conference, has called for reconciliation amid growing polarization in society. At a service on Saturday in the Hofkirche in Dresden, Wilmer warned that divisions are deepening and are showing up in clashes between groups: East and West, right and left, and between generations and religions, particularly between Christians and Muslims.
Wilmer said the only way to overcome this polarization is through a greater desire for reconciliation. "We do not need a bitter confrontation between East and West, nor between right and left, nor between the young and the old, nor between Christians and Muslims," he said. Those who seek reconciliation and persuasion, he said, are able to win support and push aside those who spread hatred and populism.
Reconciliation as a personal and community task
Wilmer urged those present to look for what is good in others and to offer forgiveness when mistakes are made. "It is your freedom not to feed the polarizations any further, but to foster reconciliation," he said. Reconciliation cannot be imposed by the state, he said, but requires people willing to say: "I forgive and I ask forgiveness." He also said spaces are needed where joy and hope can be expressed along with grief and sadness.
Christians can build bridges between different communities on the basis of their faith, Wilmer said. Christianity promotes goodness, humility, calm, forgiveness and peace, together with the virtues of faith, hope and love. "Walking uprightly for Christ can lead to being looked down on and even to suffering consequences, but it can also have the power to transform a country," he said.
East-West tensions and concern about extremism
Wilmer pointed to growing tension in debate between eastern and western Germany, which he said has become sharper and is marked by mutual accusations. He said this reflects a "craving for identity," because experiences in the two parts of the country have been so different that unification cannot be achieved easily. "We can talk about the differences in our upbringing and recount various experiences, but they can only be understood emotionally if they have been lived personally," he said.
Wilmer spoke at the farewell ceremony for Bishop Heinrich Timmerevers of Dresden-Meissen, who is retiring at 74. He also said he was concerned about the rise of the far right, and said "migrants are not a problem." He gave no specific recommendations for the coming elections in Saxony-Anhalt, but urged voters to think carefully before casting their ballots.
