Demonstration in Münster
By Stefanie Stahlhofen and Linda Bordoni
Feb 22 2024
In the face of an increase of supporters of Germany’s populist extreme-right AfD party, the local branch of the Catholic Church’s humanitarian organization Caritas launches a social media campaign calling on citizens to #StandUp for democracy and shared values.
Protesters have been taking to the streets in German cities under the motto of “defend democracy.”
Large gatherings took place over the weekend in many cities including Berlin, Hanover, Magdeburg, Bochum, Rietberg, Münster and Essen, as well as in a series of smaller towns and communities.
Demonstrators are raising their voices against the advance of the far-right populist and Euroskeptic Alternative fur Deutschland party (AfD), which opposes migration, diversity and inclusion, and analysts say wants to transform the country into an authoritarian state.
The German bishops in January published a joint statement denouncing policies that aim to expel anyone seeking refuge, ostracise people with disabilities and deny that climate change is a man-made crisis.
In collaboration with the diocese, Caritas Münster has organized a social media campaign for democracy and against extreme right parties in the country.
Speaking to Vatican Radio, Dominique Hopfenzitz, head of Caritas Münster reiterated the organization’s sociopolitical mandate and its duty to fight for values such as tolerance, solidarity, social cohesion.
“With this social media action #we stand up, we want to find people who share our values, the democratic values, the Christian values,” he explained, adding that as Church and Caritas his organization fights for solidarity, for tolerance and social cohesion.
We want to show people, Hopfenizitz continued, who are about to go to the polls to elect our leaders and policymakers, that voting for extremist right-wing parties “is not the right way.”
Recalling the rally in Münster last week, Hopfenzitz said over 30,000 people were showing their support for democratic values and striving to send the message that the promises of simple solutions voiced by extremist parties are not the right way to go.
Role of the Church
The German Church and its Caritas organizations, Hopfenzitz continued, “have a special role and a socio-political mandate to stand up for democracy and against extremist ideas.”
“We think that the society wants to hear the opinion of Caritas and Church, it wants to know, what is our point of view,” he added.
EU Parliament election
Looking ahead to the 2024 European Parliament election in Germany scheduled to be held on 9 June, Hopfenzitz reiterated his hope that “the people in Germany and other European countries will recognize that extremist parties are not the solution.”
He also expressed hope that citizens will exercise their democratic right and duty to cast their votes, at a time when voter apathy results in low turnout at the polls, where they can uphold “values like solidarity, tolerance and social cohesion.”
The recent upsurge of pro-democracy movements in Germany, Hopfenzitz explained, was also triggered by a TV interview that highlighted how the right-wing extremist party advocates for the deportation of foreigners.
“I hope that democratic people have very big endurance to go on the streets and be a sign for the people who think about electing right-wing extremist parties. We hope democracy will be stronger.” – Vatican News
