Thomas Schirrmacher with Thomas Rachel, Member of the German Parliament and Chairman of the CDU/CSU’s EAK © Martin Warnecke
Also as Federal Government Commissioner for Freedom of Religion and Belief
Dear Archbishop, Dear Prof. Dr. Schirrmacher,
On behalf of the entire Protestant Working Group of the CDU/CSU (EAK), I would like to congratulate you most sincerely on your 65th birthday!
I would like to combine my good wishes and blessings with a very special thank you for your decades of commitment to the central issue of “freedom of religion and belief” and your equally tireless commitment to combating the worldwide discrimination and persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. Both we at the EAK and the CDU in Germany as a whole have always found you to be a loyal political companion and expert advisor who has repeatedly provided us with wise support in our political work through your many contributions, speeches, and essays, opening up new and instructive horizons for us. In this context, I would like to mention just one example of your numerous publications in our magazine “Evangelische Verantwortung” (Protestant Responsibility, founded in 1953 by Hermann Ehlers) or your speeches and contributions at many EAK federal conferences.
In 2016, our federal executive committee therefore appointed you as honorary “Commissioner for Religious Freedom of the Evangelical Working Group of the CDU/CSU (EAK)”.
For the coming years, I wish you continued creativity, good health, success in your professional and private life, all the best, and above all, God’s rich blessings!
My thoughts are with you today and I remain with best regards
Yours
Thomas Rachel,
Member of the German Bundestag
Federal Chairman of the Evangelical Working Group of the CDU/CSU (EAK)
Federal Government Commissioner for Freedom of Religion and Belief
Member of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD)