At the press conference that marked the end of the Spring plenary assembly of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK), which ended in Würzburg yesterday, the new President of the German Bishops, mgr. Heiner Wilmer, presented a summary of what had been done. In addition to a study day about relations with Muslims and interreligious dialogue, Wilmer looked at the situation in the run-up to the forthcoming election in many Lander: the Bishops reiterated their call to protect democracy. “We call on the citizens of our country to look carefully and not be seduced by the superficially alluring rhetoric of AfD”, the Bishop of Hildesheim said. “Let’s protect our democracy”. A distinctive feature of democracy, he stated, is the ability to make different opinions talk to each other, “fairly and peacefully”. Therefore, spaces for discussing and exchanging different opinions are needed. As to the relationship between AfD and the Church, Wilmer stated that the ethnic nationalism and misanthropic slogans of AfD have no place in the Catholic Church. Another item on the agenda was a plan to allow non-ordained men and women to preach at Mass in the future. Wilmer placed emphasis on the decision to ask the Vatican for the authorisation to do so, based on a resolution that was passed by the German Synod’s Assembly in 2023. Such authorisation would apply to qualified men and women, designated by their own bishops.