Posted on 11/22/2023 9:16:23 PM PST by Morgana
The head of a church body representing 20 million Protestants in Germany has resigned following allegations she neglected to take action against a man who was accused of abuse more than two decades ago.
Annette Kurschus, the leader of the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD), Germany's umbrella organization for Protestant churches, resigned on Monday, according to an announcement.
She was accused of inadequately responding to the allegations against a colleague. Kurschus denied knowledge of the abuse but announced her resignation after it was revealed the former church worker is currently under criminal investigation.
"[I]n the last few days, events have accelerated. What was initially a purely local and regional matter became a case of nationwide importance," Kurschus said in a statement. "In the meantime, the situation has become so serious that there is only one consequence for me to prevent damage to my church: I am resigning from both church leadership positions."
EKD is a communion of 20 regional churches in Germany spanning Lutheran, Reformed or United confessions.
"I respect the step of resigning from all positions, with which Annette Kurschus shows the importance of consistent action on the issue of sexualized violence — especially in the interest of those affected — for the Protestant Church," said EKD Synod President Anna-Nicole Heinrich said.
The allegations reportedly involve a local vicar in the church district of Siegen, located in western Germany, who is accused of "sexually inappropriate conducted toward other men" over a period of decades.
The local Siegener Zeitung newspaper cited two men who claimed they submitted evidence under oath and reported that Kurschus, 60, knew about the accusations "in detail" as early as the 1990s, according to Deutsche Welle.
In her resignation announcement Monday, Kurchus denied any deliberate effort to cover up the allegations or mislead the public.
"This is all the more bitter because I never — and I emphasize this expressly! — was never about shirking my own responsibility, withholding important facts, covering up facts or even covering up for an accused," she said.
"In the meantime, the question of my credibility has developed such a dynamic of its own publicly that an absurd and damaging shift has occurred: instead of being about those affected and their protection, for days now it has been exclusively about me personally. This has to finally stop. It draws attention away from those affected and from clarifying the injustice that was done to them. This is what enlightenment is all about. This clarification should be the focus."
Kurschus' resignation comes at a delicate moment in the German Protestant church, which is reeling from steadily declining attendance numbers despite having largely avoided the same wave of a sexual assault claims leveled against the Catholic Church in Germany.
A 2018 study by the German Bishops' Conference found more than 1,600 Catholic clergymen were alleged to have been involved in "some form of sexual attack" against more than 3,600 minors in the years between 1946 and 2014, though analysts believe the actual number of victims is significantly higher.
The Diocese in Cologne released an 800-page report in 2021 that detailed over 200 alleged sexual assault perpetrators and more than 300 victims dating back to 1975. Over half of whom were under 14.
She should have resigned due to never being Biblically qualified to be the head, even if only as being due to being a women.
Ah, the irony that the ONLY churches with female "pastors" are so-called "Bible belivin'", sola scriptura protestant churches.
Try ordaining a woman in an "unbiblical" Catholic or Orthodox church, and you'll be promptly excommunicated for heresy.
Yes, she’s unqualified on the face of it. And under other circumstances, I’d quote part of the sentence including the word “she”, and say “There’s your problem right there” ...
But the question is not whether she is “biblically qualified”.
The question is “Did she, or did she not, cover up or participate in the crimes of perverts?”
Abuse Tracker
Daily guide to media coverage of clergy abuse worldwide . . . more than 100,000 articles blogged since 2006.
https://www.bishop-accountability.org/
A female head. That’s a problem for me. Our denomination, a very conservative one, (Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee) allows female pastors and evangelists, but the Overseer must be male, who, in effect, gives the female pastors permission to preach. Overseers, which are an equivalent of Bishops, should not be female.
Ah, but the TRUTH is that there are Bible believing, Sola scriptura Protestant churches that >u>do understand that pastors, elders, and Deacons must be men. The church I belong to is one of those who broke away from the “main stream” Presbyterians (PCUSA), We are the PCA. There are others as well. The protestant churches that do not adhere to this biblical doctrine are not Sola Scriptura!
Misleading for most of their history SS churches rightly rejected female pastors, which is a relatively recent phenomenon, and but which abounds in non-SS liberal churches (which degrade the integrity and authority of Scripture, with its manifest hermeneutics) and which are closest to Rome, as well as in many Pentecostal churches which elevate the manifest work of the Spirit to that of essentially making modifications to this doctrine.
Try ordaining a woman in an "unbiblical" Catholic or Orthodox church, and you'll be promptly excommunicated for heresy.
As one would be for ordaining any unbiblical uniquely sacerdotal, usually celibate Catholic priests in apostolic NT churches. Contrary to href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2015/09/02/chapter-4-expectations-of-the-church/"> the opinion of most US Catholics , while your current admin looks to the consideration of sanctioning female deacons.
In addition, not ordaining clergy also should mean not appointing or having women as having administrative authority over men in general except in certain extenuating circumstances (Deborah wives of slave owners) nor authority as teachers/interpreters in a church position. (1 Timothy 2:11-15; 1 Corinthians 14:35) Which is not necessarily due to lack of ability, or prohibition against learning but because it is contrary to the Biblical role of male leadership in the family and caring female support (Romans 16:2) which is corespondent to the church in which men and women are to be laborers together in the gospel. (Philippians 4:3)
However, your own bishops to whom you are to submit tell us that,
An increasing number of Catholic theologians are women. Some women serve the diocesan churches as school superintendents and chancellors, as archivists and members of marriage tribunals. More and more women have responsible national positions in the Catholic Church...One recent study shows that 85 percent of non.ordained ministerial positions in parishes are now held by women.4...We are grateful, too, that many women possess leadership and organizational skills which, although often underutilized in the past, are now coming to the fore. - https://www.usccb.org/committees/laity-marriage-family-life-youth/strengthening-bonds-peace-pastoral-reflection-women
a Crux analysis of data from the country’s 197 dioceses found a decidedly mixed bag: Most dioceses have a woman in a position of real authority.... They almost always have access to, and influence over, the men who call the shots: cardinals, archbishops, and bishops. There are 571 such positions across the United States, and 32 percent of them are filled by women. Figures are based on the most recent “Official Catholic Directory,” published last June. - https://cruxnow.com/church/2015/05/women-us-catholic-dioceses-leadership-data
Pope Francis’ appointment of Sister Nathalie Becquart as one of two undersecretaries for the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops is a significant step in bringing more women into decision-making roles at the Vatican....Sister Becquart’s appointment stands out because, as undersecretary, she will have a vote in the synod, a first for a woman. - https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/02/12/sister-nathalie-becquart-pope-francis-catholic-women-leadership-240012
Pope Francis' big gathering of Catholic bishops and laypeople said Saturday it was "urgent" to guarantee fuller participation of women in church governance positions and called for research on allowing women to be deacons to be released within a year. - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-says-urgent-to-guarantee-governance-roles-for-women/
Thus, while Catholic women are excluded from being ordained Catholic priests, they can and do increasingly occupy positions of "real authority." Whether this can be allowed under the premise that they are objects of secondary authority (as with Abigail in 1 Samuel 25:19) is a matter of debate, but if allowed, then it would also be akin to sanctioning women "co-pastors" who are answerable to their husbands, preaching under his authority, or a board. Which I do not see as Biblical.
If you - as with most vocal FRoman Catholics - disagree with your "living magisterium" as V2 and ordinary magisterium then you essentially are as a Protestant in making the veracity and authority of such dependent upon your judgment of what ancient church teaching is and means.
But they aren't priests, they aren't pastors, and they aren't bishops.
If you - as with most vocal FRoman Catholics - disagree with your "living magisterium" as V2 and ordinary magisterium then you essentially are as a Protestant
The "living magisterium" (whatever that means) is not free to dispute things that are already infallibly known. The inadmissablity of women to Holy Orders is infallibly known and is therefore irreformable. (See John Paul II's Ordinatio Sacerdotalis and the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith's note afterwards that it was teaching something that was already infallibly known.)
The idea that the "living magisterium" can overrule absolutely anything is the Mormon teaching model, not the Catholic teaching model.
Y'all like to pretend that anyone who stands up for the truth when the Church starts to go off the rails is a "Protestant," but that's not really honest. St. Athanasius did not view himself as a Protestant, nor did anyone else until Luther came along 1200 years later.
Now, why don't you explain how sola scriptura Protestantism, in the land of its birth, no less, has gone so far off the rails? Saying "they aren't sola scriptura" isn't much of a defense, because they think they are, and your teaching model has no one, and never will have anyone, with the authority to tell them that they're not.
An appropriate response to the mishandling of sexual abuse situations instead of remaining in office.
I wonder what would be left of the Catholic clergy if THEY acted in the same way, resigned over mishandling (aka covering up and enabling) abusive priests?
Seems that there are fewer and fewer things these days that will generate this result.
Can't we just enjoy our food today and be GRATEFUL for GOD's blessing without having yet another food fight over this subject yet once again??
SHEESH!
From the article posted:
“The head of a church body representing 20 million Protestants in Germany has resigned following allegations she neglected to take action against a man who was accused of abuse more than two decades ago.”
(this article focuses on ONE Protestant leader over the failure of her leadership to act upon ALLEGATIONS of ONE man decades ago)
article emphasis:
‘Germany’s Protestant church leader resigns, denies covering up sex abuse’
Yet, the REAL coverup appears to be in the following text:
despite having largely (***avoided***) the same wave of a sexual assault claims (***leveled***) against the (***Catholic Church***) in Germany.
A 2018 study by the German Bishops’ Conference found (***more than 1,600 Catholic clergymen***) were alleged to have been involved in “some form of sexual attack” against (***more than 3,600 minors***) in the years between 1946 and 2014, though analysts believe the (***actual number of victims is significantly higher***).
The Diocese in Cologne released an 800-page report in 2021 that detailed over 200 alleged sexual assault perpetrators and more than 300 victims dating back to 1975. (***Over half of whom were under 14.***)
Seems to me the emphasis on attention should be on the sheer volume of the epidemic of homosexual child sex abuse within the roman catholic church, AND the efforts to conceal and cover-up the abuses.
The movie documentary Spotlight, highlights the decades of sex abuse within the rcc and has even won awards for its research. It was about time the ‘Spotlight’ was placed upon the systemic abuse of children within an organization
that’s been found to have been so guilty of cover ups.
Just the tip of the ice berg...
The Roman Catholic Church is a major offender in the nationwide scandal of child sex abuse. Abusive priests misused their authority to sexually abuse children. High-ranking church officials often covered up these horrific incidents. In some cases, these cover-ups perpetuated the cycle of abuse in other parishes and dioceses.
https://www.abuselawsuit.com/church-sex-abuse/
Nor should they be. But you are ignoring the principal of authority which is a foundational aspect of the exclusion of female clergy.
The inadmissablity of women to Holy Orders is infallibly known
True. But not to how far a principal behind that extends to. Remove the presumed uniquely sacerdotal function of your priesthood (which is nowhere seen or taught in Acts thru Revelation) plus ordination, and you still must deal with the issue of authority.
The "living magisterium" (whatever that means)
The "living magisterium" is not something I made up, but it is a RC phrase referring to the magisterium as explanatory, to which, in Catholic theology, care of the Bible had been committed, and which, when necessary, distinguishes the present thought of "The Church" from what is traditional only in appearance, and under its guidance, helps ensure that the flock unfailingly adheres to the faith. Which simply does not live up to its billing.
And even if you could limit required submission to that which is considered to be infallible, then since there no infallible document listing the magisterial level of each teaching, must less being so perspicuous that variant scholarly interpretations of such are easily manifest as untenable, then you have variant lists and interpretations, to varying degrees, which cannot be all dismissed as being due to being poorly catechized. The idea that the "living magisterium" can overrule absolutely anything is the Mormon teaching model, not the Catholic teaching model.
Applicable to such basics as women ordination to priesthood, but "absolutely anything" goes beyond that, including reconciling the likes of Unam Sanctam with the likes of Lumen Gentium 15 and other aspects according to typical vocal "TradCaths" such as dissent from V2, whole or in part. Thus, while your real argument is that the Roman magisterium is needed to settle issues and prevent a fractured church, yet quite the opposite has occurred. As quoted before on FR, this statement sums up this problem rather well:
The last time the church imposed its judgment in an authoritative manner on "areas of legitimate disagreement," the conservative Catholics became the Sedevacantists and the Society of St. Pius X, the moderate Catholics became the conservatives, the liberal Catholics became the moderates, and the folks who were excommunicated, silenced, refused Catholic burial, etc. became the liberals. The event that brought this shift was Vatican II; conservatives then couldn't handle having to actually obey the church on matters they were uncomfortable with, so they left. ”- Nathan, https://christopherblosser.wordpress.com/2005/05/16/fr-michael-orsi-on-different-levels-of-catholic-teaching (original http://www.ratzingerfanclub.com/blog/2005/05/fr-michael-orsi-on-different-levels-of.html)
And as what we really believe is shown by what we do, (James 2:18) Rome shows her interpretation of what/who she inclusively constitutes a member can be by manifestly treating even liberal proabortion, prohomosexual public figures as members in life and in death, thereby manifesting its interpretation of canon law.
Thus, while I actually have and do affirm that the ideal is that of a central magisterium of wise manifest men of God (2 Co. 6:4-10) to settle disputes, as per Acts 15 (which flowed from the OT: Dt. 17:8-13) based upon Scriptural substantiation in word and in power is a much more geographically limited church, with much diversity of conditions (Rv. 2+3), Rome has essentially poisoned that well of recourse, and is not even in the running.
Which includes her claim of "oral tradition" and the novel and unscriptural premise of ensured perpetual magisterial veracity (EPMV) of office, under which she asserts she is and will be infallible whenever she speaks in accordance with her infallibly defined (scope and subject-based) formula, which renders her declaration that she is infallible, to be infallible, as well as all else she accordingly declares. And also presumes protection from at least salvific error in non-infallible magisterial teaching on faith and morals.
For while men such as the apostles could speak as wholly inspired of God and provide new public revelation thereby, neither which even Rome can presumes its popes ans ecumenical councils does.
And nowhere is ensured perpetual magisterial veracity actually promised or examples, despite Catholic attempts to extrapolate it from the promise of guidance and further revelation, nor is EPMV essential for authority. `Y'all like to pretend that anyone who stands up for the truth when the Church starts to go off the rails is a "Protestant," but that's not really honest. St. Athanasius did not view himself as a Protestant, nor did anyone else until Luther came along 1200 years later.
A pious man, wrongly condemned, many times, and an inspiration to those who stood for Truth against power (and politics)...
Meanwhile, y'all like to pretend that anyone who claims to be a Christian but is not Catholic is a "Protestant," from Scientologists to Swedenborg defenders, regardless of their view of Scripture.
Of course, I am not promoting whatever is called "Protestant," nor do I call anyone who stands up for the truth when the Church starts to go off the rails to be "Protestant," but define Biblical Christian based upon the only wholly inspired substantive authoritative record of what the NT church manifestly believed, at least most basically.
And rather than SS being inferior to the Roman model, as manifest, then the stronger one's esteem of Scripture and its integrity and authority, then more sound and unified in basic beliefs/valuesoverall, as they have long attested to being, in quite stark contrast to those whom Rome overall considers members
The like could be said among "TradCaths," yet both groups also evidence the most debates. The rest do not manifest such much due to lack of commitment to doctrine.
The problem here (aside from doctrine) as regards submission to Rome as the solution to disunity, is that Rome overall considers both to be members, being an ad mixture of self-proclaimed "true Catholics" who do varying degrees reject much modern teaching, to Ted Kennedy Catholics, whom you must own as your brethren, unless you become a schismatic. Thus under her magisterium broad Catholic unity is largely a paper profession.
And you should be ashamed to propose that conservative evangelicals forsake their conservative fellowships to become brethren with both cultic TradCaths and rank liberals supporters of them.
Which is besides that of false doctrine. And indeed, NO NT leader essentially identified as a RC with its distinctive doctrines in the NT church/a>! Meanwhile, what so-called "church fathers" taught (from the relative little it is estimated that we may know) is not definitive for RC doctrine, for she presumes to the supreme judge of whatever they and oral Tradition and Scripture consist of and authoritatively means, based upon her interpretation of the same.
Now, why don't you explain how sola scriptura Protestantism, in the land of its birth, no less, has gone so far off the rails?
Now, why don't you explain how Rome, and in the lands of its headquarters, no less, has gone so far off the rails as w TradCaths argue? And yet Rome was far worse morally preceding the Reformation. Which is by compromising on basics - at least on the meaning of such.
Saying "they aren't sola scriptura" isn't much of a defense, because they think they are, and your teaching model has no one, and never will have anyone, with the authority to tell them that they're not.
Not when you consider what they held Scripture to be. SS - not the Catholic typical construance of it - is indeed a defense, for in order to truly affirm Scripture as alone being the the sure, sufficient supreme standard for doctrine as the wholly God-inspired, infallible express word of God, providing man with the truth of God "necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life" (even when its truths are deduced by good and necessary consequence as they may be, and providing for "synods and councils, ministerially, to determine controversies of faith, etc. ... if consonant to the Word of God -" Westminster Confession of Faith) ;
then it requires Scripture to be not simply professed to be the authoritative sure sufficient word of God but to treat it treats itself, and as evangelical have, in contrast to liberal revisionism,. which resulted in the modern evangelical movement, as a restoration of the past. . Which liberals do not (nor has modern RC scholarship overall for at least 60 years, such as subscribes to the discredited JEDP theory, and relegates such miracles as the Flood, Joshua's long day, Jonah and the fish, etc. to being fables or folklore) and thus such not only widely affirms female pastors, but homosexual unions as well.
and your teaching model has no one, and never will have anyone, with the authority to tell them that they're not.
And yet, as said rather than SS being inferior to the Roman model which affirms liberals as well as conservatives as members, evangelicals find greater particular unity in their fellowships due to a stronger esteem of Scripture and its integrity and authority, while they would usually have to find some charismatic or Novus Ordo church to find the like.
I do not think the reality has changed much since I remained a faithfully weekly Mass-going RC for about 6 years (during which served as a CCD teacher and lector for some time) after I finally actually become born again, with its profound basic changes in heart and life, and sought but found little fellowship of the Spirit, less as the charismatic groups declined, before I was prayerfully led out by God into evangelical fellowship. In which I found and find far more unity of superior quality within the latter than the former, though due to the emphasis upon points of doctrine, we can also find some issues to debate.
Yet as said, I do affirm that the ideal is that of a central magisterium of wise manifest men of God (2 Co. 6:4-10) to settle disputes, as per Acts 15 (in which James provided the conclusive judgment, affirming the evangelical gospel Peter, Paul and Barnabas had preached and its effects) is to be prayed for.
However, as regards its organic manifestation, the body of Christ essentially exists as tribes in a divided kingdom, and as the overall apostasy that was foretold becomes increasingly evident, then believers need to be ready continue akin to Christians in China do, as a relative remnant shall be saved, as usual.
God has always guided His people and has always provided them with the Truth needed to obey Him and correction - thru prophets (Hosea 12:13) and never forsook the faithful, yet leadership (essential as it is) has always been inconsistent. and with the NT church itself beginning in particular dissent (and built upon them: Eph 2:20) from the historical magisterium which rejected the Lord and His disciples as illicit itinerant preachers, but who established their Truth claims upon Scriptural substantiation in word and in power.
This is what remains to be the sure and supreme standard for veracity, versus Rome which obscenely exalts herself as that standard, and is simply not presentable as a solution, but is part of the problem, despite affirming many Truth we affirm and content for, plus two that all should (against contraception and women pastors over men), for her iniquities and inventions sink that ship.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.