The Church in Germany

Bischöfliches St.-Hildegardis-Gymnasium dedicated its new schoolyard in Duisburg on Friday, September 18, 2026. The project, which includes a playground connected to a sports field opened last year, provides students with a space for play, sports, and learning.

The construction department of the Diocese of Essen completed the project in two years for 1.1 million euros, which was less than the original 1.3 million euro estimate and the planned three year timeline. Most of the work took place during school holidays. The renovated courtyard in the Dellviertel district features existing shade trees and a new climbing frame funded largely by the school's support association.

Duisburg First Mayor Edeltraud Klabuhn thanked the diocese for its commitment to the school, describing the project as a worthwhile investment in the future.

Father Fadi Azar, a priest in Aleppo, reports that Christians in Syria face increasing discrimination, intimidation, and insecurity nearly two years after the fall of the Assad regime. In an interview with Kirche in Not, Azar stated that rising crime, inflation, and unemployment have led to more frequent kidnappings and looting. He noted that residents must now take security measures to protect utilities like water and electricity meters from theft.

Azar highlighted threats against the Christian minority, including the June 2025 attack on the Mar-Elias Church in Damascus. He reported that Christian cemeteries have been desecrated and churches have been defaced with anti-Christian slogans. Additionally, Azar said radical Islamist groups have used loudspeaker vehicles to drive through towns and demand that Christians convert to Islam.

The priest also noted that Christians face professional disadvantages, stating that some have lost their jobs or been denied career advancement because of their faith.

General Vicar Klaus Pfeffer will join a panel of experts to discuss how the Catholic Church can effectively prevent sexualized violence on October 5, 2026. The discussion will take place at 19:00 at the Die Wolfsburg diocesan academy in Mülheim.

The panel will examine the tension between the Church's strict sexual morality and the need for open communication to prevent abuse. According to the Diocese of Essen, studies on sexualized violence and prevention efforts suggest that traditional Church teachings on sexuality can create obstacles to effective prevention. The participants will address how sexual education can help resolve conflicts when Church norms no longer align with the views of many clergy, employees, and laypeople.

Pfeffer will be joined by Jochen Sautermeister, Ann-Kathrin Kahle, who handles sexual education for the Diocese of Münster, and Helga Dill, head of the Münchner Institut für Praxisforschung und Projektberatung (IPP). Dill's institute conducted the social science study regarding the processing of sexualized violence in the Diocese of Essen. Jens Oboth will moderate the event.

The Diocese of Essen held the international youth Mass "Together" at Essen Cathedral on Saturday, September 12, 2026. The event brought together young people and young adults from various cities, parishes, and communities to celebrate their diverse religious traditions and languages.

The program included a pilgrimage to the cathedral through the Essen-Steele area led by Olivia Klose, the diocese's pilgrimage routes coordinator. Participants engaged in a digital quiz on their mobile phones regarding local landmarks during the walk. Upon arriving at the cathedral courtyard, attendees participated in guided tours of the cathedral and the cathedral treasury exhibition, which included a themed search for a stolen ivory box.

The evening Mass featured prayers, songs, and texts in multiple languages. While the shared song and text booklet guided the service in German, the liturgy incorporated various languages to represent the different backgrounds of the participants.

The Diocese of Osnabrück will host a digital question and answer session on September 16, 2026, to help teachers prepare for the new Christian Religion subject based on Protestant and Catholic principles. The session, held via Zoom from 16:16 to 17:17, allows religion teachers to ask presenters questions about the content and formal requirements of the new curriculum.

The meeting will include a short presentation on interreligious perspectives. Future sessions are scheduled for October 7, 2026, to discuss social perspectives, and November 18, 2026, to discuss student-centered lesson planning. These sessions aim to assist teachers with topics such as developing lesson themes from competency areas and integrating various religious and social viewpoints into the classroom.

The program is organized by Andreas Scheepker, Ruth Koßmann, Tanja Voss from the ARO Aurich study leadership, and Bettina Jansen from the Osnabrück Diocese School Foundation.

The Diocese of Osnabrück has agreed to sell the Kommende Lage building to Max Geers from Bersenbrück. Geers will take ownership on January 15, 2027, and plans to invest in extensive restoration and renovation work while the pilgrimage to Lage continues.

The Diocese of Osnabrück is collecting donations to fund a celebration for families at the St. Marien daycare center in Georgsmarienhütte-Oesede. The event has been held for five years to ensure people do not celebrate alone.

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich stated that the Church does not always need to hold a single opinion, arguing that diversity is an essential part of community and synodality.