The power of the spirit

Cardinal Reinhard Marx has promoted the "synodal way" for the renewal of the Church. "It is the synodal way that leads the church anew into a Pentecost," the archbishop of Munich and Freising said on Pentecost Sunday in Munich's Liebfrauendom about the process decided by the German Bishops' Conference (DBK) in March. "Only then can the church be an example to the world of how respectful and unanimous cooperation can be in the power of the Spirit." The DBK president added: "How beautiful it would be if the church gave such a witness in these times."

Being able to talk to each other and understand each other are two great human gifts, Marx said. In this sense, he said, the feast of Pentecost is a "feast of successful communication". Often, however, communication is not successful, not even in the church. "I am not always happy about the communication of the Church, not even about myself," said the cardinal. All the more important is the "synodal way", which is about listening to the people of God. "We want to listen to each other with respect and hear each other's concerns."St. Paul already said that the Spirit of God is given to all. In this tradition it is necessary for the Church to go forward.

A fresh wind at Pentecost

According to the words of Council President of the Evangelical Church in Germany, Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, a fresh wind blows at Pentecost: "Pentecost mixes up our church milieus and blows the spirit of freedom into our hearts," the Bavarian regional bishop explained for the weekend. "Pentecost takes our cliches and prejudices to task, and the more the spirit blows and reaches us in the soul, it transforms them into love."

Very different people would be united into one community: This community is "as big and colorful and wide as the heart of God," Bedford-Strohm said. This then also included, for example, doubters, "atypical" churchgoers such as motorcyclists and young people who also sometimes found critical words.

Redeemer of demons

The Archbishop Ludwig Schick of Bamberg looked at the many "un"-words in the language, which are a sign of society's state of mind. Words like discontent, inequality, lack of freedom or inconsistency express a longing for conversion and change. The Spirit of God can deliver people from these evil spirits. "The Holy Spirit is the reminder that reminds us of everything Jesus told us and instructed us to do," Schick said about Pentecost, which is also considered the birth festival of the Church.

The Wurzburg Bishop Franz Jung urged a "climate of inner peace" for the synodal process in the Catholic Church. "Stirred up and inwardly restless, one not infrequently allows oneself to be carried away by things that, on sober reflection, do not hold water," Jung said. "In emotional debates, people often want quick solutions."But this does not help with the ies of the priestly way of life, the ordination of women and the re-evaluation of family and sexuality. Even if these are important questions that have been raised for a long time.

For understanding and peace

The Bishop of the Protestant Church in Baden, Jochen Cornelius-Bundschuh criticized a growing inequality between rich and poor. The feast of Pentecost encourages Christians to act in solidarity. The Spirit of God celebrated at Pentecost wants to encourage us to tackle the "great challenges of climate change, global justice and the peaceful resolution of conflicts with as little violence as possible".

The Fulda Bishop Michael Gerber referred to the effect of the Spirit on the Feast of Pentecost, which made people of different languages understand each other. "It is precisely this spirit that we need today, in the current situation of church and society," the Catholic bishop said. He reminded us that the world is facing very great challenges. The solutions that are developed are very different and are discussed very controversially. Especially in "tense moments" a new way of dialogue should be developed.

More understanding for one another

The Aachen Bishop Helmut Dieser calls on citizens to show more respect and understanding for one another. In society and politics in Germany and other Western countries, one can observe at present that it does no one any good if people talk past each other, said Der Spiegel according to the sermon text on Pentecost Sunday in Aachen Cathedral. Even in the church, he said, there is now anger and attacks against the supposed opponent.

In this context, he recalled the message of Pentecost as a model for a form of understanding. "What is being told is not an account of tough negotiations with a compromising, more or less viable result at the end. Here a miracle is told: Beyond anything humanly possible, the Holy Spirit brings about a unification movement."The feast of Pentecost proclaims the incomprehensible and indelible promise: "God creates understanding. God's spirit wants to roar into our speech. It causes us to understand each other."The miracle of speaking and understanding is "the greatest gift of God" also for today's time.

Criticism of reform proposals

The Augsburg Bishop Konrad Zdarsa Has rejected certain calls for church reforms. Zdarsa asked on Pentecost Sunday in Augsburg Cathedral whether those who "call for indiscriminate access to all offices of the Church are aware that such access also means access to a high level of responsibility that no one is capable of aming and bearing by his own claim and strength". One may ask how world Christians, who have a special worldly character, can simply neglect and ignore their worldly mission to spiritually penetrate their environment.

The bishop went on to say: "The possible abuse of supposed power is not prevented by trying to involve as many people as possible in it indiscriminately, instead of remembering the power of the children of God and tracing all spiritual authority back to its spiritual roots."Zdarsa said that he had never considered his priesthood and episcopate as earned, fought for or acquired.

Taking a stand against hostility to democracy

The Berlin Protestant Bishop Markus Droge has called on Pentecost for a clear stance against hostility to democracy. Currently, democracy as the foundation of the polity is being questioned and undermined, Droge said Sunday at the Pentecost service in the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. Facts are twisted for one's own political and ideological advantage. In times when lies penetrate public life, it is especially important to show attitude, said the bishop against the background of right-wing populist and radical currents.

There are political functionaries "who seem to make lying their principle," said Droge. It is "tremendously tedious" to oppose these lies and to use the instruments of interception "to expose lies and to stop their spread". But people must also take responsibility for what they say. Credibility and reliability must characterize social coexistence, the bishop demanded and emphasized the importance of binding rules of coexistence.

Pentecost gives support in life

"Pentecost is a question of attitude," Droge stressed. The inner attitude also motivates one's own actions. Therefore, people should make clear to themselves which spirit guides them and out of which spirit they live. The "spectacular event of the gift of the Spirit" told about Pentecost in the biblical Acts of the Apostles is aimed at "what holds us and shapes our attitude," the bishop said. In the Christian story of Pentecost, this is described as a "storm and flames of fire". In the Jewish tradition, he said, it is "stone tablets with instructions for life" that come "down from the mountain to the people".

The Jewish feast of Shavuot, which is closely linked to the Christian feast of Pentecost, recalls the gift of the biblical Ten Commandments for a good coexistence of people, which are also a model for the German catch, said the bishop of the Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia: "They give us support in life."The Pentecost story in the Bible falls on the feast of Shavuot, which is celebrated 50 days after the Jewish feast of Passover. The Christian feast of Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter. This year the Jewish and the Christian festival are celebrated on the same day.

Archbishop Becker calls for professions of faith at Pentecost

Archbishop Hans-Josef Becker of Paderborn has encouraged people to live their faith openly through humanity and solidarity. People often settle for the given and make themselves comfortable, Becker complained, according to the sermon text on Pentecost Sunday in Paderborn Cathedral. In the church, too, there are "times of calm, slack sails, stagnation, boredom". But "Christians must not become lax and lukewarm," he warned. "We ourselves must burn for the message! Otherwise no one will believe us in the end."

Just there, where people themselves no longer know what to do and no longer dare to hope, there is the space that only Christ can fill, said the archbishop according to the sermon text. "Unexpectedly, he then comes to us, brings peace and gives the spirit of life and liveliness.". The Spirit of God keeps one curious, grateful and open to others.