Priest punched during Sunday Mass in Berlin

Munich, Germany, Dec 10, 2018 / 08:30 am (CNA).- Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer was named the new leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) at a special party conference December 7.

A practicing Catholic, Kramp-Karrenbauer – known as AKK in the German press – was seen as the preferred choice of German chancellor and outgoing CDU leader Angela Merkel.

A married mother of three, Kramp-Karrenbauer previously served as secretary general of the party and minister-president of the western German region of Saarland. She defeated Friedrich Merz, a former member of the European Parliament and Bundestag, winning a run-off ballot with 517 of 1,001 potential votes.

As head of the CDU, Kramp-Karrenbauer is now widely regarded as a possible chancellor-in-waiting behind Merkel, who has said she will step down at the end of her current term in 2021.

Broadly seen as economically liberal, many political commentators have dubbed Kramp-Karrenbauer “mini-Merkel” and she is widely considered to be a continuity candidate with the current chancellor, who led the party from 2000-2018.

Kramp-Karrenbauer is known for her traditional social views, and has previously drawn attention for her outspoken opposition to same-sex marriage and gay adoption. As head of the Saarland region, she warned that same-sex marriage could create a legal precedent for recognizing incesuous and polygamous unions.

“If we open up this definition [of marriage] to become a long-term responsible partnership between two adults, then other demands can’t be ruled out, such as a marriage between close relatives or between more than two people,” she argued in 2015.

Same-sex marriage became legal in Germany in 2017.

While often characterized as a “staunch” or “devout” Catholic, Kramp-Karrenbauer has been a vocal supporter of female ordination in the Church. Earlier this year, she told the weekly newspaper Die Zeit that “It is very clear: women have to take positions of leadership in the Church,” eventually including women-priests but beginning with the “more realistic goal” of a female diaconate.

As the largest economy in the European Union, Germany politics plays a crucial role in the direction of the continent, with the German chancellor functioning as a de facto leader for the union. As Merkel’s acknowledged preferred successor, Kramp-Karrenbauer’s views on a range of policy issues will be scrutinized by leaders across the EU.

On the politically sensitive topic of mass-migration to the Europe, Merkel’s open-door policy to migrants in 2015 was widely seen as out of step with broader European policy, making Germany a beacon nation for refugees and economic migrants alike, and putting pressure on neighbouring countries.

Kramp-Karrenbauer has called for a more forward-looking debate on the subject of immigration and mass-migration.

In November, she told German television station NTV that she did not want to see a “backward-looking discussion” or “eternal debate about what was done right or wrong in the autumn of 2015.” Instead, she said, she wanted to see an “honest” discussion about the current effects of years of migration “uncontrolled and without integration.”

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The newly ordained Bishop Frederik Hansen is presented to the congregation at St. Olav’s Cathedral in Oslo, Norway, on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2024. / Credit: Diocese of Oslo / Katolsk.no / EWTN

Oslo, Norway, Jan 18, 2025 / 09:45 am (CNA).

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, ordained a Norwegian prelate as the new Bishop of Oslo at St. Olav’s Cathedral on Saturday.

Frederik Hansen, who selected “Lex tua veritas” — Your law is truth — as his episcopal motto, succeeds Bishop Bernt Ivar Eidsvig CRSA in leading the increasingly diverse Catholic community within predominantly Lutheran Norway. The 45-year-old served in the Vatican’s diplomatic service under Parolin until 2022.

‘The first duty of a bishop’

In his sermon on Jan. 18, Parolin thanked Bishop Eidsvig, who had led the diocese for almost 20 years with his “generous service.”

The cardinal emphasized that “unceasing prayer and invocation of the Holy Spirit” constitute “the first duty of a bishop.”

“We cannot fully comprehend the enormity of His transforming power, but we can experience it in some measure if, like the Apostles, we remain open and docile to His action,” Parolin said.

Prelates from across Northern Europe attended the ordination, including bishops from all Nordic countries, Germany, and the United Kingdom. EWTN streamed the ordination in several languages, including German and Polish.

From diplomat to diocesan leader

Born to Lutheran parents in Drammen, Norway, in 1979, Hansen converted to Catholicism at age 20 and was ordained a priest almost eight years later by then-Bishop Eidsvig.

The prelate’s path to the priesthood led him through studies in Rome and work in the diplomatic service of the Holy See before joining the Sulpician order in 2022.

Pope Francis appointed him as coadjutor and eventual successor to Bishop Eidsvig last year.

In an interview with the National Catholic Register in November, Hansen said: “The international reality of the Catholic Church is mirrored in the Catholic Church in Scandinavia, which is very multicultural and multilingual. Our cathedral parish in Oslo, for example, has Sunday Masses in 11 languages.”

“We are the world Church on a local level,” he explained, referencing the large groups of Polish, Lithuanian, Filipino, Vietnamese, African and Latin American Catholics in the Nordic dioceses. 

A multicultural Church

Speaking about the Church in Norway, Parolin emphasized how Catholics from more than 150 countries have enriched the local church community.

“This diversity is both a challenge and a gift from God,” he said, noting how different cultural traditions contribute to creating “a unique and singular Church.”

The cardinal praised the Church in Scandinavia‘s commitment to charitable works and evangelization, particularly highlighting their welcome of refugees and immigrants. He also commended the “fraternal love” demonstrated in ecumenical cooperation with Lutheran Christians.

Before the ordination, Parolin met with Norway’s King Harald V and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.

“These were very cordial meetings,” the cardinal told EWTN News, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner. Parolin emphasized the importance of strengthening relationships with civil authorities.

Pilgrims of hope

Looking toward the future, Parolin highlighted the significance of the jubilee year 2025, calling it an opportunity for “returning to the heart of Jesus.”

He encouraged the faithful to become “pilgrims of hope,” praying especially for regions affected by conflict, mentioning Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar, and Sudan.

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