SP-Roth submits proposal: Canton of Lucerne must end the diocese concordat

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David Roth (38), chairman of the SP canton of Lucerne, demands that his canton end its membership of the Diocesan Concordat of 1828. Or Lucerne may only extend once all financial obligations have been lifted.

The comrade wants to submit a corresponding proposal to the canton council on Tuesday. The concordat is an agreement between several cantons on the organization of the diocese of Basel.

Roth is concerned that only about half of Lucerne’s population is Catholic – and that the canton still co-finances the salaries and expenses of the diocese’s executives.

“Funding of the clergy is outdated”

The SPler justifies his initiative by saying that the financing of the clergy is outdated. Currently, three canons of Lucerne benefit from this financial support. Because: The diocese concordat of 1828 stipulates that each canton sends canons to the seat of the diocese of Basel.

One of the three, the resident canon, receives a six-figure salary from the canton in addition to a generous share of expenses. The canton also provides financial support to the two non-resident canons.

“Not enough done to combat abuse”

For Roth, it is important that the people of Lucerne do not use public coffers to finance employees of an organization that, after decades of scandals, has done too little to combat abuse by its own dignitaries.

A research team from the University of Zurich has found evidence of 1,002 cases of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland. The cases range from border crossings to the most serious, systematic abuses over the years. A total of 510 suspects and 921 affected persons were identified. (oco)

Source:Blick