“Mandatory celibacy can be removed”

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Does it bother you that the Easter Bunny is more important today than the Christian past of Easter?
Joseph Stubi: I am happy for every child who is happy for the Easter bunny. We used to do this when we were kids too. Of course, as a pastor and now a co-bishop, I would be happy if the Christian message was more prevalent among the people. For many, Easter is just a long weekend. But what bothers me is that you can buy Easter bunny from the shops as soon as Christmas is over.

Christianity assumes that Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried. Then he stood up again. Can you really believe this?
In Jesus’ time, heavy breakers were crucified. Death is a certainty that we all know. Resurrection is not easily proven. It’s a matter of faith. I believe in resurrection.

No one who died so far has come back to life.
Jesus did just that unimaginable thing. Every Mass we celebrate this as the “mystery of faith.” In other words, faith has a mystery that we cannot explain. But we can interpret. For me, Easter is a celebration of great love. God’s love is stronger than anything – even stronger than death. This is shown in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

You lost your father when you were 17.
It was a terrible time. We lived on a farm, my father died in a work accident in the septic tank.

How did you react then?
I came home from high school like every night. Your father’s body was under a sheet. I can still see my then twelve-year-old sister standing in the kitchen crying while drying the dishes. How does the doctor give my mom a sedative? It was a bad time, we had to give up the farm after a week. I think that then brought me closer to Easter. Good Friday represents death. But the last word is Easter, not death. In the evening of the accident, I said to my mother: “There is someone in heaven now.”

Is that a big consolation or a small consolation?
For me, this was a great consolation. Of course, losing my father was brutal. But even as a 17-year-old, you try to make the most of the situation. Jesus says, “I am always with you until the end of time.” That’s how I felt for my father, too: My father is now in heaven, watching over us. And sometimes it helps not to ask why, but to ask for what.

What do you mean by that?
I don’t want to make sense of the terrible accident. But later my brother said that his father’s death brought us together. Years later, I asked my mother how she accomplished all this. He replied: “Only by faith.” He didn’t say more. The question of why is understandable, but often gets us nowhere.

You are responsible for “Justitia et Pax” at the Swiss Bishops’ Conference. This is the commission that also talks about wars. Does the Christian peace movement need to rethink and say “make peace with arms”?
Basically no. Jesus calls for nonviolence. Jesus would say: “Stop these wars!” We know from Mahatma Gandhi that nonviolence can bring an empire to its knees. But pacifism is probably not an adequate response to Putin at the moment. Ukrainians have the right to defend themselves. The Christian message is a message of peace, but it is also a message of justice.

You were in the Swiss army. can you kill someone
I was faced with the question of whether I would become an officer. As an officer, I should have given the order to shoot. On the other hand, as a soldier, I would still have the option not to pull the trigger. That’s why I didn’t become an officer.

You mentioned justice before. Is it fair to save CS?
I lack the knowledge to assess the banking crisis. But now I’m thinking of people who will lose their jobs. And I am led by the question: What is systematically important in our country? Who keeps Switzerland afloat?

Who do you think?
Hospital staff applauded during the corona pandemic. However, I have no feeling that working conditions have improved significantly since then. As a pastor, I’m in the hospital often and see how tiring the job can be. It’s physically demanding, but also emotionally. When a child dies, employees cannot easily bear it. They take the load home with them. It would be fair for politicians to pledge allegiance to all weak banks, not just weak ones.

The Catholic Church has a great background of reform. Does it bother you that the Pope is not advancing?
I think the Pope is advancing.

But he doesn’t decide anything.
To understand the Pope, we must read between the lines. The Pope initiated a synodal process. Suddenly, churches around the world began discussing topics that were largely taboo before his will. The Church is in motion, it will change, it will continue to evolve.

Would you sign a letter to the Pope requesting that married men be appointed as priests? Or from women to nuns?
I would not sign such a letter.

Why don’t you give a big yes?
I’m just starting out as co-bishop (laughs)I can’t hurry!

From where? A lot of people in the church are waiting for someone to finally break into the church and score again.
As a bishop, I follow the rules of the Church. Still, I have my views, I stand behind them, and I try to present my views believably. For centuries, there was no compulsory celibacy in the church, which came later. Mandatory celibacy can be abolished.

Are you suffering from celibacy?
I know shaping a single lifestyle isn’t always easy. However, during all my years as a priest, I got on well with it.

What do you say to the question of women?
Mary Magdalene belongs to Easter morning. The first person to learn of the resurrection of Jesus was a woman. He brought this message to the apostles. This is a statement that the church today should listen to very carefully. Women were with Jesus much more later than in church history. I can only explain this with the effect of a historically patriarchal society.

Does the Catholic Church treat women as second-class citizens?
I wouldn’t say that, but I can understand expressions like that. It is clear that women in our church do not have the same opportunities as men to practice their profession. The Diocese of Basel has women at all levels of government, including the Diocese leadership.

But in the end, the bishop, not a woman, decides.
It’s not enough to just discuss celibacy or whether women can become pastors. We live in the 21st century. Women who have the call should be able to become priests.

Just for priesthood ordination? Or for bishops and popes too?
Anything that discriminates against women is injustice. That’s why it doesn’t make much sense to talk about only female deacons.

In many places, the Catholic Church is still pre-modern. You will not see the Pope!
I don’t think so either. But who knows…? Let’s start small. It bothers me to see how many educated female theologians we have in the Basel diocese. But since there is no blessing, we are not allowed to use them everywhere. Let’s wait and see what the synodal process will bring. It can’t go on like this.

Another reform issue concerns LGBTQ. Have you ever blessed a gay or lesbian couple?
NO. No one has ever asked me.

do you want to do
As a church, we can only rejoice when a couple loves each other, takes responsibility for each other, and says: We have a religious need to bless our love. In that regard, I probably would. I see no theological argument against this. Many other bishops in Europe have come to the same conclusion. This shows me that I am not alone in my own opinion – even in our diocese.

We asked you to invite people to a modern congregation. Who did you choose?
I invited him to the Red Tower in Baden. The restaurant is a social project where people with disabilities are given a chance. I imagine a modern dinner like this one: people from different backgrounds and different missions come together. From the baby I baptized to the grandchild in my congregation. A supper consists of the variety of people at the sacrament.

Source : Blick