Germany’s Protestant bishops should in future drive at a maximum of 100 km/h on the autobahn.
The synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) decided on Wednesday at its meeting in Magdeburg that it was considered necessary to comply with a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour on motorways and a speed limit of 80 kilometers per hour on country roads when driving in a church-related context to noticeably reduce emissions. In addition, the church wants to campaign politically for a speed limit of 120 kilometers per hour.
“We support the political efforts to achieve this,” said Hessen-Nassau’s Church President, Volker Jung. “That’s something different than moralizing.” The regional bishop of the North Church, Kristina Kühnbaum-Schmidt, expressed a similar view: “It’s about a self-commitment – and that will help us more in alliances with others who see that the Evangelical Church leaves us not alone in that.” Previously, at the request of synod Arnd Henze, the EKD synod had already spoken out in favor of the EKD striving for climate neutrality by 2035.
