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An evening full of encounters and impulses in the diocese of Fulda. A TV journalist, an oncologist and the Fulda bishop discussed. How can cohesion succeed in times of division?
Fulda – Around 200 guests from church, politics, business and culture accepted the invitation of the Diocese of Fulda to the annual reception on Sunday evening (April 25th). They come from the entire area of the diocese between Kassel and Frankfurt, the Marburger and Geisaer Land. After a solemn vespers in the church of St. Andreas, the participants met in the Bonifatiushaus.
Intensive discussions were held even before the panel round. What holds a society together when differences grow and debates become more heated? The reception was dedicated to this question Diocese of Fulda under the guiding principle “What connects us is always more than what separates us”.
Journalist, oncologist and bishop discuss at the reception
With a keynote contribution by the well-known ZDF-TV journalist Shakuntala Banerjee, a moderated discussion group and numerous guests from various areas of society, the diocese says it would like to use its dialogue format to provide a strong impulse for cohesion, encounters and understanding.
The diocese of Fulda consciously chose an open meeting format that goes beyond the church's internal perspective and brings people from different areas of society into conversation with each other. The Sunday evening combined substantive impulses with personal encounters and exchanges.
Bishop Dr. Michael Gerber, who last spoke on Good Friday about dealing with loss and crisispresented him with the guiding principle: “What connects us is always more than what separates us.” Especially at a time when social and global political tensions are increasing, the diocese of Fulda wanted to open up spaces in which different experiences are taken seriously, perspectives are shared and new connections are possible.
The reception of the Diocese of Fulda should be such a dialogue format: It should provide impulses, enable resonance and promote encounters across familiar boundaries. In the moderated discussion, Bishop Dr. Michael Gerber makes it clear that the belief that what connects people is always more than what divides them is currently under pressure.
Central experience: Commitment to others
“We as a church are committed to a dialogue that is committed to values that, at their core, always have the well-being of everyone in mind,” emphasized the bishop. “Values that we decide on and use must be of such quality that they apply universally and to everyone without any further requirements.” This is a core message of the proclamation of Jesus and a key experience of the early church.
“As a bishop, I would like our diocese to be perceived as strong because we stand up for the dignity of every person’s life as a universal value – and do not shy away from conflict.” When asked how church commitment to social dialogue can be experienced as helpful, Gerber referred to church youth work as an example.
“Our church youth work, whether in the BdKJ associations or with the altar boys, enables young people to have a central key experience: I experience myself as effective in my commitment to others. Working for other people promotes my personal development,” explained the Fulda bishop.
Church often opens up spaces in which the first formative experiences beyond one's own group are possible, Gerber continued: International pilgrimages, World Youth Day, the 72-hour campaign and exchange programs such as Weltwärts are examples of “a very decisive broadening of horizons and of experiencing connection across social boundaries”.
The evening's content kicked off with the high-profile television journalist Shakuntala Banerjee, who has been journalistically covering political debates in Germany for many years. In her keynote speech, she opened up perspectives on the question of how social cohesion can be strengthened in a time of growing uncertainty. A round of discussions deepened the main idea of the evening from different professional and social perspectives.
Shakuntala Banerjee and Bishop Dr. Michael Gerber also Prof. Dr. Michaela Nathrath, Director of the Clinic for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at the Kassel Clinic and honorary managing partner of the “Little Giants North Hesse”, as well as Dr. Joachim Hein, who has professional responsibility in the areas of investment analysis and controlling and voluntarily chairs the church tax council of the diocese of Fulda.
Individual view of crises, stress and tensions
It became clear how different the experiences and areas of responsibility are from which people today view crises, stress and social tensions. At the same time, the conversation showed that responsibility, orientation and the question of what supports play a central role in very different areas of life and professional life – in medicine and the media as well as in church and business.
“The evening gained its profile not only through content-related impulses, but also through the conscious combination of keynote, conversation and personal encounter,” summed up the diocese. “With the reception, the diocese of Fulda has once again enabled encounters in which different perspectives do not conflict with each other, but in which people with different backgrounds can engage in productive conversation.”
Among the guests were representatives from politics, churches, education, business, media and social institutions, including Hesse's Interior Minister Prof. Dr. Roman Poseck, District President Mark Weinmeister and the Protestant Bishop Prof. Dr. Beate Hofmann. This social diversity, it was said, underlined “the character of the reception as a forum that brings together different milieus and areas of life and responsibility”.
Following the keynote and discussion, the evening continued with personal encounters. The main idea of the reception could also be experienced as it continued: in exchange, in listening and in conversations beyond familiar circles. The evening began with vespers in the neighboring church of St. Andreas at 5 p.m.
Vespers in the Church of St. Andreas to kick things off
In his sermon on the Gospel of Emmaus, Vicar General Dr. Martin Stanke said that true encounters and understanding do not come about through quick judgments or ready-made answers, but rather through patient listening and empathetic support. Christian faith turns out to be a movement of understanding.
The musical vespers design was carried out by cathedral organist Max Deisenroth and the vocal ensemble of the cathedral choirs under the direction of cathedral conductor Franz-Peter Huber. The musician and composer Frank Tischer provided the musical accompaniment to the reception in Fulda's Bonifatiushaus. The evening's moderator was broadcast journalist Stephanie Mosler.
