Racism takes black priest to leave the parish in Bavaria

Congolese priest, who is in Germany since 2005, began to be harassed after being against offenses of conservative political refugees in southern Germany.



A Catholic priest born in the Democratic Republic of Congo announced on Sunday (06/03) to its faithful during Mass that will leave the parish of Zorneding, Bavaria, to have received threats of xenophobic motivation death.

Olivier Ndjimbi-Tshiende take on a new community from April 1, he announced the archbishopric spokesman of Munich and Freising, Bernhard Kellner. "We are very sorry [the resignation] and we are on his side," he said. According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, among the threats contained in letters received by the priest was written "that send you to Auschwitz."

The 66 year-old priest received five death threats in recent months, after having clearly positioned against xenophobic statements of the then leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU) in the city, Sylvia Boher. The party exists only in Bavaria and is confrere of the Christian Democratic Union, German Chancellor Angela Merkel.



In a publication party, Sylvia Boher wrote that Bavaria is being invaded by refugees. She qualified immigrants from Eritrea as people who just want to escape from military service.

After the parish council dismissed these claims and Ndjimbi-Tshiende called for CSU to be consistent with the Christian doctrine, Johann Haindle, representative of the CSU in the city council, insulted the priest calling him "neger" derogatory term for blacks in the country.

After harsh criticism, Boher and Haindl resigned their positions in the party last November. Haindl also left the city council, but Boher, no.

Ndjimbi-Tshiende, 66, was in the parish of Zorneding since 2012. He lives in Germany since 2005 and has German nationality since 2011.