German bishops issue guidance on dismissing AfD members

Germany’s bishops clarified Thursday their criteria for dismissing supporters of “extremist” parties from Church positions. In a 36-page document published Sept. 26, the bishops said decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis, weighing the intensity of a person’s “extremist tendencies” and the prominence of the post he or she holds. “The basic idea is that no one should be excluded or stigmatized per se,” the text said. The bishops’ guidance, which is not binding on dioceses, comes seven months after they issued a landmark declaration condemning what they described as “racial (völkisch) nationalism.” The declaration, prompted by the surging...