Association of Old Catholic Women
| Association of Old Catholic Women (baf) |
|
|---|---|
| legal form | registered association |
| founding | 1912 |
| Seat | Bonn |
| main emphasis | Umbrella organization of women's groups and network of women in the Old Catholic Church in Germany |
| Chair | Lydia Ruisch |
| Website | www.baf-im-netz.de |
The Bund Alt-Katholischer Frauen (baf) in Germany is the umbrella organization of women's groups in the old Catholic communities and the network of Alt-Katholischer Frauen.
history
The first women's association in the old Catholic diocese of Germany was founded in Bonn in 1872 as a parament association . Other foundations were dedicated to “working neighborly love” and were mainly active in charitable and diaconal activities. Women's associations took care of the maintenance of paraments and church buildings, donated money for church buildings and made a contribution to the payment of clergy through donations to the "Bishop's Fund". The women's associations made a significant contribution to the community and church.
In the 1880s the first steps towards a network of old Catholic women began. A decisive factor was Therese von Miltitz (1827–1912), a former Dresden court lady who had lived in Bonn since her retirement. At about the same time, Mathilde Rüdt von Collenberg , née. von Noel (1846–1921) for networking women in Baden. After more than a decade, an umbrella association was founded. Representatives of the women's associations in Cologne, Offenbach, Mannheim, Freiburg, Kempten and Heidelberg formed a committee and prepared to found the association on September 8, 1912.
From the beginning, the association was committed to diaconal and social goals, a closer connection between the individual women's associations and the welfare of the Old Catholic Church. In 1917 the association had 35 clubs with a total of 1635 members.
Work with girls was a focus of the association's work; In addition to the women's associations, girls' associations were formed in various places . Striving for equal rights for women was one of the goals of the association. Since 1913 he campaigned for the church's voting rights for women. After women had received the active and passive right to vote in the Weimar Republic in 1919 , the 25th diocesan synod decided on May 26, 1920 to extend the right to vote and the eligibility for all church bodies to which lay people can be elected to "the female gender" .
During the time of National Socialism, the federal government and the individual women's associations were restricted. Church engagement was largely undesirable, which is why the association limited itself to diaconal activity. In 1935 the association was affiliated with the German Women's Work . At the same time, the association tried to establish international contacts; In 1934 the German, Swiss and Dutch associations joined forces in the League of Old Catholic Women's Associations , which was founded in 1931 . In 1962 the organization was given its current name, 25 years later the short form "baf" was introduced.
The federal government has been committed to the ordination of women since the 1970s . In May 1994 the 52nd bishopric synod included the legal equality of women and men in the old Catholic Church in §1 of the Synodal and Community Regulations.
"Women's camps" lasting several days were introduced and have been carried out regularly since the 1970s. At these “women's meetings”, a type of Bible study was introduced that focused on biblical women and allowed interpretations from a female point of view. In the 1980s, the federation introduced the “African method of biblical study” derived from ecumenical work, the so-called Bible sharing , in the old Catholic diocese.
tasks
The federal government sees itself as a forum to exchange opinions and experiences and to learn with and from one another. He wants to empower women to stand up for the ecumenical endeavor for justice, peace and the integrity of creation. He is involved in the World Day of Prayer for Women , in the Christian Council, in mission projects , works with women from sister churches in the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and with women's associations from other Christian churches.
literature
- Katja Nickel: Women and men on the way to the one church. In: Elisabeth Bücking (Ed.): Ecumenical women - women cross borders. Frank & Timme, Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-86596-268-3 , pp. 217-220.
- Angela Berlis : The Association of Old Catholic Women and its commitment to women's rights. In: Gisela Muschiol (Ed.): Katholikinnen und Moderne. Catholic women's movement between tradition and emancipation. Aschendorff, Münster 2003, ISBN 978-3-402-03432-3 , pp. 199-220.
- Albert Oeckl : Paperback of public life. Volume 52, 2003.