German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 19/189,
23839-23840.
Herr President. Dear colleagues.
For over 100 years there has been a constitutional mandate
to end the so-called Staatsleistungen [state
benefits] to the churches. To this day, this mandate has not been implemented,
even though the Weimar constitution’s religion articles are a component of
the Basic Law. This constitutional mandate, in existence since 1919, should
finally be implemented, ladies and gentlemen. Staatsleistungen are presently payments by the Federal states of
around 550 million euros per year to the Catholic bishops and to the Evangelical
state churches. Essentially, these benefits go back to the compensations for
the expropriations of church goods in the year 1803. It is not about the church
taxes [Kirchensteuer] – since that is
a member’s contribution – or about church renovations, diaconates, kindergartens
and such like. Of the total income of the churches, the Staatsleistungen make up around 2 percent.
For 217 years, payments have been made to the churches which
should have been ended 100 years ago. It finally becomes time to do this,
ladies and gentlemen. Since it is here about the credibility of the legislators
and of the churches. It is about the divestiture [Entflechtung] of state and church, or as was demanded by Pope
Benedict, about the un-worldliness [Entweltlichung]
of the Church.
Hermann Gröhe (CDU/CSU): First ask
the AfD!
Thus, for example, the EKD supports a gender institute and a
ship in the Mediterranean which brings migrants to Europe.
Philipp
Amthor (CDU/CSU): And that during the debate!
Konstantin
von Notz (Greens): Embarrassing!
Both Amtskirchen [official
churches] vigorously meddle in politics. A concentration on the essentials, the
proper duties of the Church, on preaching and the care of souls, would be to
the advantage of the faithful, ladies and gentlemen.
Martin Rosenmann
(SPD): Perhaps Christian conduct as well!
My delegation’s draft law, which was already mentioned,
foresees that the Staatsleistungen will
be paid only until December 31, 2026; that is still around 3.3 billion euros. Thereby
is provided sufficient planning security. The draft of the other opposition
delegations foresees that a sum of 18.6 times the present yearly benefit will
be made as a one-time payment or as installment payments. That would be around
10 billion euros. We hold that to be excessive, not least on account of the
strained budget situation of the states which must come up with the payments. The
factor of 18.6 originates from the real property assessment act and thus from
tax law. Nevertheless, that is not applicable here.
The question of whether and in which amount a severance contribution is to be made is contested. We associate ourselves with the legal interpretation that the state with its now more than 200 years performance of payments has already completely compensated the churches for historical expropriations. We will further clearly advise this in the committees. I hope the coalition delegations will give up their blockade so that this for long open constitutional mandate will finally be fulfilled.
