"Our action "maria 2.0" has become an absolute self-runner," said co-initiator lisa kotter on saturday in munster. It is difficult to estimate how many people will take part in the week-long church strike. However, hundreds of groups, some of them entire church congregations, from berlin, hamburg and freiburg, among other places, had shown solidarity with the movement, kotter said.
The believers involved in the strike, according to kotter women and men, want to protest in the next few days against power structures in the church and the cover-up of sexual abuse by officials. In an online petition to pope francis, they demand access to all church offices and the abolition of the obligation of celibacy for catholic priests.
The initiative started on saturday evening in munster, the town where it was founded. Dozens of women gathered there for an open-air service. Nationwide, there are no more than 18. May actions planned. Supporters of "maria 2.0" do not want to enter churches during this time, let their honorary offices rest and celebrate services without priests deliberately in the open air.