Karl Cardinal Lehmann, head of the Roman-Catholic Church in GermanyThe head of the Catholic church in Germany, Karl Cardinal Lehmann, Bishop of Mainz, called on his compatriots to give up their beloved cars for Lent to make a personal contribution to preventing climate change. Cardinal Karl Lehmann said in Bild newspaper that the period of 40 days before Easter in the Christian calendar "requires us to rethink our lifestyle." The Bishop continues: "Far too often, we do things that are harmful to our fellow citizens and the environment. Let us use Lent to make a personal contribution to improving our climate by having car 'fast.' Preserving creation is a duty which falls to all of us," Lehmann, the chairman of the German bishops'conference, said.25 Million Germans are members of the Catholic Church. If they listen to Lehmann this might be a starter. In times of ecumenism maybe some of the 26 Million Lutherans in the country will follow their Catholic neighbors and give up their car, too.

The resurrection of Christ, painted by El Greco

Children are important, and it is a misfortune that in virtually all industrial nations the birth rate is declining. There is lots of thought and public discussion in Germany these days about the right upbringing and education for children. Often the issue is centered on values. What values are important and how should parents and society impart these values to the adolescent generation?One value that in my opinion belongs, among others, to values education, but which has not yet been taken into broad consideration, is ecological, sustainable behavior. By this I mean, for instance, respect for natural resources – frugal use of water, conscientious energy consumption (heat, electricity). Children don’t learn frugality incidentally, but more exactly when they are deliberately introduced to it, best of all by persons who lead the way by example.