DUBLIN (CNS): Michael Cardinal Czerny, the Vatican’s point man on migrants, voiced support for Mother Mechthild Thurmer, the abbess of Abbey of Maria Frieden in the Bavarian town of Kirchschletten, Germany, who faces trial for sheltering refugees. The cardinal linked the Benedictine nun with “a long tradition of Christians living their faith to the final consequence.”
The cardinal was addressing a webinar, Overcoming Indifference to Migrants and Refugees, organized by the international Catholic weekly, The Tablet, on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30.
Asked how far people in the Church should go and whether they should be willing to take that risk Mother Thurmer is taking, which potentially could lead to a jail term, Cardinal Czerny responded, “God bless her!”
He added there was no reason for this Christian tradition to be “refuted or broken.”
Mother Mechthild is facing trial in Bamberg, Germany, for offering refuge on 30 occasions to women seeking asylum at the monastery.
Up to now, proceedings against those offering Church asylum have traditionally been dropped following the payment of a fine.
However, the 62-year-old abbess has refused to pay the fine and stands accused of two counts of “aiding and abetting illegal residents.”
However, Mother Mechthild defended her actions stating, “I acted out of Christian spirit; to give concrete help to a person in need can’t be a crime.”
A lawyer for the nun, Franz Bethauser, expressed hope that the case would offer legal certainty over the position of religious organisations granting Church asylum.
