German ambassador to the Vatican and former chief-spy Bruno Kahl’s open attack to the Pope suggests that he could have not done it, unless he felt his back covered both by his government and by the German Catholic Church. Two initial clues lead to quite an interesting picture. 1. Christ in der Gegenwart (CIDG), the outlet that interviewed Kahl, is maybe the oldest German liberal catholic magazine. Its headquarters are based in Freiburg, a ultra-liberal and early Green Party stronghold politically. 2. Freiburg is also a stronghold of the Catholic Church (the fourth largest diocese), which is currently led by Archbishop Stephan Burger, a “conservative.”

Both the “liberal” CIDG and the “conservative” Bishop support Ukraine in the “just war,” a position shared by the majority of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK), which leans toward a “just defense” framework, but faces strong internal theological opposition.

Here is the breakdown of the official bishops’ document and the reaction from the peace movement, Pax Christi.

The Official Bishops’ Document, Friede diesem Haus” (Peace to this House), published in early 2024, centers around the Paradigm of “Just Peace,” a code word used by the warmongers in order to continue the war. It insists on the legitimate use of force and argues that supplying weapons to Ukraine is morally justifiable.