This is the degree scroll of the talk given recently by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Templin, her hometown in Brandenburg. She was invited by the Lutheran pastor of Mary Magdalene to address his parishioners on the occasion of the celebration of Reformation Day.

People hardly ever come to church services in Templin anymore, but more than 800 people filled the church to overflowing to hear Merkel, who could not hide her emotion. She was confirmed there in 1970. Her father worked there as pastor until his death in 2011, and her mother still belongs to the parish.

Angela Merkel has a reputation as a reserved person, very jealous of her private life and her privacy. She does not like to show off her Christianity, but in Templin she let her hair down and spoke frankly at B about the implications of religion for her political activities. Faith gives her a lively awareness of her limitations - humility - and prevents her from fantasies or delusions of omnipotence. It makes her realize financial aid that she is not perfect and that she makes mistakes. Silent prayer has become central to her life, and being able to pray the Lord's Prayer with others constitutes a source of joy. Feeling that she is a Christian gives her an incredible sense of security.

For Merkel, freedom is the central element of the Christian message, a freedom that is inseparable from responsibility: "God does not want puppets, robots or people who just do what they are told.

Faith illuminates central aspects of her political activity. For example, with regard to the defense of life: "I am convinced that God has given us the gift of life, from the beginning to its natural end. For this reason, she advocates strict protection of the embryo and has serious reservations about the discussion on financial aid to death and assisted suicide that has just been initiated in the German Bundestag: "I fear that the boundaries of what is permissible will be continually shifted and that in the end all barriers will give way. In matters of conscience I tend to prefer the strictest solution." He is against regulating all end-of-life issues in detail, because such a claim fails to do justice to the variety of circumstances that arise in reality.

Religion has an answer to the ultimate questions about the meaning of existence, but it does not answer the immediate questions about how to organize coexistence among people and nations. In dealing with social issues related to justice and solidarity, faith is a decisive source of inspiration source . The Chancellor also finds guidance in faith when dealing with problems of international politics, although in some cases doubts can even torment one's conscience. For example, in the face of the flood of refugees and migrants: Faith leads one to open one's heart to the needs of one's neighbor, but there is no material capacity to welcome everyone. He has fewer qualms about supplying arms to the Kurds so that they can fight against Islamic terrorists or sending troops to ensure peace in the Balkans or Afghanistan.

Angela Merkel is no exception. In almost all German political parties, we find believers in prominent positions. For example, the Socialist Andrea Nahles, Federal Minister for employment and Social Affairs, or the Green Winfried Kretschmann, Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg. Both are practicing Catholics who do not hide their faith. They have sometimes had to contend with adverse opinions within their groups, but they have set an example of consistency. Their good work and the resulting prestige, backed by votes, enable them to remain faithful to their principles.

It is not easy to imagine similar cases in Spanish politics. A large issue of center-right politicians declare themselves to be Christian, but the coherence between faith and behavior, both personal and political, often leaves much to be desired. To begin with, there is still much tension in the coexistence between religion and politics. There is no way of overcoming old clerical or anti-clerical tics (at present, rather the latter). The tremendous deterioration of our political system could be an opportunity to advance in this normalization. It is clear that the root of the crisis is not merely political, but ethical. It is not enough to modify the electoral law, the law of political parties or even the Constitution itself. The problem is much deeper and of a moral nature. We need politicians with principles, willing to be coherent. At this point, we feel we have had enough of good words, and there is always the danger of hypocrisy, but cynicism is even worse. If the law of the jungle were to become the law of the jungle, all would be lost.