Evangelical Church repositions itself on navy violence | EUROtoday

As of: November 10, 2025 6:07 p.m

In order to make sure peace, violence might have for use as a final resort, in response to a fundamental paper by the Evangelical Church in Germany. This repositioning – for instance within the case of nuclear deterrence – is polarizing.

In view of the present crises and conflicts, the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) has realigned its place on navy power. A state ought to have the means to guard its residents from violence by way of counter-violence, mentioned EKD Council Chairwoman Kirsten Fehrs in Dresden on the presentation of a brand new peace memorial entitled “The World in Disorder”. The fundamental paper is the EKD’s first main peace ethics positioning since 2007.

The new coverage paper of the EKD Council emerged from peace ethics debates surrounding the controversy over arms deliveries to Ukraine because of the Russian warfare of aggression.

Nuclear weapons dilemma

“Nuclear weapons should be abolished worldwide,” emphasised Fehrs. However, you’d be in a dilemma should you had been to implement this instantly: states may then really feel inspired to assault.

“The possession of nuclear weapons may still be politically necessary given the distribution of these weapons in global politics, because abandoning them could pose a serious threat to individual states,” the memorandum states.

The EKD’s peace consultant, the Central German regional bishop Friedrich Kramer, mentioned he would have wished the EKD had caught with a categorical no to nuclear weapons.

Criticism from peace associations

Using violence just isn’t doable with out changing into responsible, mentioned Fehrs. “But people or states are also guilty of allowing violence and failing to protect people from it.”

The memorandum states: “The decision on arms deliveries and arms exports will have to be measured by ensuring that an escalation of violence is avoided.”

Peace associations within the Protestant Church criticized the memorandum. It focuses on rehabilitating navy motion when it comes to peace ethics, in response to an announcement from the Service for Peace Working Group (AGDF).

The board of the Bonhoeffer Niemöller Foundation declared in Wiesbaden that the aim of eradicating the establishment of warfare from worldwide politics had been deserted. The basis expressed outrage on the denigration of “peacemaking, i.e. pacifist, efforts inside and outside the church.”