Salzburg – The German Jesuit Klaus Mertes has received the "Theological Prize" of the Salzburg University Weeks. The prize, endowed with 5,000 euros, honours the theological life's work of the Jesuit, who became known for having made an abuse scandal public in 2010 as the then headmaster of the Canisius College in Berlin. It is one of the most prestigious theological awards in the German-speaking world. Winners were Karl-Josef Kuschel (2019), Hans Joas (2018), Eberhard Schockenhoff (2017) and Jan and Aleida Assmann (2016).

The prize was awarded on August 4^th in the library hall of the University of Salzburg in the presence of Archbishop Franz Lackner, the Archbishop of Munich, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, and the laudator, Thomas Sternberg, President of the Central Committee of German Catholics.

In his welcoming speech, Martin Dürnberger, chairman of the Hochschulwochen, quoted from the jury's statement: With the prize, the jury not only honoured Mertes' breaking of spirals of silence on the subject of abuse, but also "his persistent reflection on the systemic causes and their treatment" as well as "the clear tone he strikes".

Thomas Sternberg paid tribute to Mertes' contribution to coming to terms with the church abuse scandal, which was repeatedly discussed before 2010 but never became visible in its full extent. Mertes had repeatedly shown courage and contributed to overcoming "secrecy and a lack of strategy", Sternberg said. The Catholic Church in Germany and beyond has "every reason to thank him for his courage", Sternberg said.

In his words of thanks, Mertes emphasized the need to create a body independent of both the perpetrator and the victim. Only in this way could it be possible to "somehow connect the square of confrontation with the round of cooperation" and to create a sustainable basis for communication between both sides. On this path, there are still numerous stumbling blocks on the part of the Church, such as the lack of an ecclesiastical language that builds bridges to the victims instead of triggering trauma; or the continuing temptation of clerical abuse of power, through which any efforts are "contaminated and poisoned".

The award ceremony can be watched on YouTube: