"Living community": Faculty of Catholic Theology celebrates its patronal festival

Even small numbers encourage and motivate us to strive for more. The annual report by Dean Professor Holger Zaborowski showed that the Erfurt faculty has a lot to offer. Good developments in the area of mid-level academic staff and an important new appointment in moral theology, the involvement of female professors in national and international synodal and ecumenical processes, participation in the new inter-faculty graduate centre "Glocal Religiosities", a popular journals "Theologie der Gegenwart" – the Erfurt faculty is attracting attention with its many activities. According to Zaborowski, the aim is to discuss contemporary issues theologically in the faculty and in public. The Catholics' Day, in which many of the faculty members participated with great commitment, was seen as a great opportunity for this. More than ever: "Theology must network." To this end, there are many activities from within the faculty.

The Dean bid farewell to the previous Dean of Studies, Professor Julia Knop, who is the new Vice President for Academic Affairs, and thanked her for her great commitment. He welcomed Professor Patrick Becker as her successor, who then took on the task of bidding farewell to graduates and welcoming newly enrolled students.

Student spokesperson Jesper Stahl summarised the past year and presented the Faculty's student body as a "vibrant community". He was not short of examples, and Stahl also emphasised the many student activities at the Katholikentag. He also introduced Sarah Tomberg as his designated successor.

The sponsorship award, which is financed by the Friends of the Faculty, was also presented this year: Patrick Krüger was honoured for his outstanding master's thesis "Unity and Understanding in the Church of the 3rd Century? The Synod of Late Summer 256 in Carthage". His work is a detailed study with lasting theological relevance, which also opens up new perspectives for the present, in which synodality in the church is the subject of intense reflection. Professor Michael Gabel and Tobias Hohenberger presented the award on behalf of the Freundeskreis.

Professor Michael Wermke from the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, had already given the keynote speech. He spoke about the legal and theological framework of religious education: "Religious education in public schools. The co-responsibility of state and church in education". It was a strong plea in favour of religious education in schools as a "free service in a free school". Wermke emphasised the church's willingness to take responsibility for shaping schools and education through religious education and to contribute to social renewal. At the same time, however, he pointed out the responsibility of the faculties to prepare teachers for denominational co-operative religious education, for example. In his closing remarks, Bishop Dr Ulrich Neymeyr thanked the faculty for its commitment. Albertus Magnus in autumn 2024 with "apple and cinnamon", but at the same time with a lot of drive and desire for new things.

(text: Benedikt Kranemann)