Germany: African Roman Catholic priest resigns following 5 death threats and xenophobic utterances

An African Roman Catholic clergy serving with the Upper Bavarian municipality of Zorneding has resigned. Rev. Father Olivier Ndjimbi-Tshiende obtained five death threats in recent months and was fed up with xenophobic utterances from a prominent CSU local politician. The 66-year-old cleric had "die nase voll haben". Father Ndjimbi-Tshiende announced his resignation during a morning sermon. The community expressed shock at the news. He had been repeatedly threatened with open murder and violence. 

The former deputy CSU local chairman, Johann Haindi had called the priest who hails from the Congo in an interview as a "negro". Another senior CSU official Sylvia Boher wrote in the local party Handout that Bayern will virtually be overrun by migrants from Africa. Mayor Piet Mayr (CSU) has expressed concerns over allegations that CSU is partly responsible for the resignation of 66-year. Ndjimbi-Tshiende had been in the parish since 2012. The spokesman of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, Bernhard Kellner said “We regret that very much and are at his side.” On April 1, the priest would take up a new position in the diocese, Kellner said.