Lucerne stays with the diocese confectionery: government rejects resignation!

Lucerne stays with the diocese confectionery: government rejects resignation!

The canton of Lucerne has decided to capture the diocese of Basel on his concordat. This decision means that the canton continues to bear the financial expenses for the Lucerne canons and the wages of the residing canon. The government council rejected a motion of the former SP cantonal council and current National Councilor David Roth, who aimed to leave the diocese concordat.

David Roth argued that the financing of the canons was no longer up to date, especially since the Catholic population of Lucerne is now only about half of the total population. The government council replied that a termination of the concordat is out of the question, since the canton of his say in the diocesan conference continues to have an impact on the diocese organization.

say and voting rights

The cathers in the diocese of Basel play a key role in choice of bishops and have a string law that enables them to exclude candidates from the election list. "With these mechanisms we can ensure that the bishop is accepted by the base," said the government council. He also emphasized that the loss of this diplomatic relationship with the diocese of Basel would have significant negative consequences for the canton of Lucerne.

The government council's decision ensures that the canton is still represented with two representatives in the diocesan conference. This representation enables Lucerne to perceive its interests and to decide on important matters. The government council considers the opportunity to be released from the financial obligation as "hopeless" and rejects negotiations in this regard.

The canton of Lucerne provided a lump sum of around CHF 80,000 to the diocese organization in 2023 to finance the canons. In addition, personnel costs of around CHF 130,000 were borne. These payments are part of Lucerne's persistent financial commitment to the diocese of Basel.

The rangers themselves, a total of 18 in number, work closely with the bishop and support him in the direction of the diocese. Among these canons are three representatives from the canton of Lucerne, who also represent a diplomatic connection between the cantonal government and the diocese. This underlines the importance of the concordat for relationships and administration within the Catholic Church in the region.

The decision to maintain the concordat is also considered a strategic step to secure the interests and say of the canton of Lucerne within the Catholic structures.