Under protests, the American bishop Robert Barron in Münster received the Josef Pieper Prize. Around 50 people gathered in front of the overwater church in the morning to demonstrate against the award of the Catholic bishop of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota, which is known primarily through its internet appearances. You accuse Barron of a political proximity to US President Donald Trump and an exclusive attitude towards various social groups.
At the demo on Sunday, representatives of the family association of the Catholics, the Greens, the Catholic Women’s Community of Germany (KfD) and the Reform Movement Maria 2.0 came together. Some of them wore rainbow flags and posters.
The Josef Pieper Foundation awards the award in honor of its namesake every five years. Josef Pieper was a Catholic philosopher, university lecturer and author of numerous publications on Christian morality.
Bishop Barron has an “unmistakable affinity for the philosophy of religion” by Josef Pieper, according to the foundation’s homepage to justify the election of the award winner. One honors a theologian with the award ceremony “who, like no other, uses modern media to support Christian proclamation”.
Venues smeared with slogans
The sandstone walls of the overwater church in Münster had previously been smeared by unknown people with red color. “Fuck Trump” is sprayed onto the walls. The Pontifical Office with Bishop Robert Barron took place as a closed event, the church entrances were guarded by security forces.
The bishop, which was brought to the church through a back entrance, also has many followers. With his media company Word on Fire, he regularly releases mission videos and has almost 580,000 followers on Instagram, and there are more than two million subscribers on his YouTube channel.
