Catholic priest is a regular guest at the WEF – and has already been through a lot: crypto investors sponsored the church bell

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The windows of the shops converted into PR centers on Davos boulevard are still dark, no engine noise drowns out the crunching of footsteps in the snow as Dean Kurt B. Susak (45) greets those present at the service in St. Mary’s Church.

Unlike Sunday Masses, there are only a handful of locals and two WEF visitors who have gathered early in the morning – it is shortly after seven o’clock – in the church, which is still decorated for Christmas, to celebrate the service . . The Catholic parish has a distinguished visitor: Cardinal Peter Turkson (75) has traveled from the Vatican to the WEF and is leading the early mass this morning.

The cardinal sleeps in the guest room

The cardinal is a regular guest in Davos. Almost every year he comes to the Alpine city for the World Economic Forum. He carries a message from the Pope. “Our goal is to draw attention to other dimensions of entrepreneurship and the economy. For the good of all people,” the cardinal explained his mission in Davos.

During the WEF, Cardinal Turkson spends the night in the Catholic priest’s guest room, while another papal envoy, Cardinal Reinhard Marx (70), stays in the apartment of another employee.

The terrible hotel prices? The church can’t afford that, the cardinal waves. The cardinals and the priest from Davos receive the entrance pass to the Congress Center for free, for which others pay tens to hundreds of thousands of francs.

The church also wants to network

“The Catholic Church is also a global player,” says Pastor Susak, explaining the WEF’s progressive approach. For the forum’s 50th anniversary four years ago, organizers were eager to welcome Pope Francis, he says. But because the Pope would have had to visit the Chur diocese and that would have been too complicated in terms of security, they decided not to travel to Davos, the cardinal says.

Pastor Susak is invited to the traditional WEF banquet at the ice rink, in which the federal council members also participate. The sociable dean, who is never at a loss for a word, does not need to be asked twice. “Despite all justified criticism, this opportunity to network is also important for the Catholic Church,” he says.

“Don’t forget our Christian values”

The native Allgäuer, who has been a preacher in Davos for fourteen years, has already been able to speak at the WEF with former American President Bill Clinton (77), former German Chancellor Angela Merkel (69) and French President Emmanuel Macron (46). . But he doesn’t just want to shake hands. The pastor also wants to use the WEF to improve the image of the church. After all the abuse scandals became known, there is still a lot to do. In addition, like the cardinal, he also has a spiritual message. “I tell the people I meet: whatever you do, don’t forget our Christian values ​​and roots.”

Cardinal Turkson believes that the words of warning will not simply disappear. Yes, his vote at the WEF is just one of many. “But it catches the ears of many people,” he says in an interview with Blick.

New church bell thanks to WEF contacts

Last but not least, the Catholic Church of Davos also uses the WEF to fill the community coffers. During this time she rents rooms to companies.

And thanks to the forum, the church even received a new church bell a few years ago: “I met crypto investors at an event who, after the friendly meeting, said that I should contact them if they could do anything for the church. I didn’t have to think about it for long,” says Susak over coffee after the service. “In return, I celebrated the wedding with the couple in question in Zurich.”

Be still and pray

But despite everything, there are also negative aspects that the church has to deal with at the WEF – and criticism of the annual meeting of the world’s elite. “Regular community life is out of the question this week,” says Pastor Susak. The funeral of former HCD president Werner Kohler (†78), who died at the beginning of this year, had to be postponed until after the forum because it is simply too busy on the streets this week.

The church also sees itself as a place that today gives a voice to those who otherwise would not have a voice in the WEF. At the beginning of the forum, the various churches in Davos invited people to pray together on Monday evening. The visitors denounced the widening gap between rich and poor, lit candles and observed a minute’s silence. Sometimes all you can do is remain silent when confronted with the suffering and injustice in the world, Pastor Susak said. And pray.

Source:Blick