Merkel Causing the Division of German Society Says Czech Cardinal

The Prague Cardinal Dominik Duka is defending his country against the accusation of lack of receptivity to refugees. In an interview with the newspaper "Lidove noviny" (Saturday) he charged, according to  Kathpress, German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) with complicity for the division of  German society and the fear of Europeans for the refugees.

"I think that a large proportion who have  this fear are exactly those people who say: We have to accept all. Who has provoked the split in the German society?" asked the cardinal recalling Merkel's welcoming culture. It was the German Chancellor, "who undermines a number of fundamental principles of the European Union, security issues and Schengen Agreement." The interventions had consequences.

"Development has proved us right"

Meanwhile, there had been a reversal, says Duka: "We all see how now the EU speaks, as the head of the EU Commission Juncker, like Merkel, or Austria, talk. The development has proved us right," said the Archbishop of Prague.

Duka also makes  certain distinctions between European Catholics and Pope Francis on the refugee issue in the interview, "The sensitivity of Francis for the social problem is different from ours in Europe." This had to do with the origin of the pope from Latin America;  where the gap between rich and poor there is much greater.

Duka recalled that "in the past 20 years, nearly half a million new citizens" have come to the Czech Republic. The first were people from the East. Remonstrations that Czech citizens only want Christians is based on "disinformation", the Cardinal said. "We have said that we have to take Christians primarily because this is the most persecuted group who fear for their lives." The Czech Republic was not able to absorb large amounts of refugees, stressed Duka. "We have no tradition in this and no people who could communicate with the refugees."

(APA)