Police and church in exchange: An evening of appreciation in Dresden

Police and church in exchange: An evening of appreciation in Dresden

On June 17, 2025, around 100 representatives from various areas gathered in Dresden Cathedral to celebrate a special vespers service at the Benno reception. Employees of the Saxon and Thuringian police, the riot police and the State Criminal Police Office were invited, including Catholic and Protestant police chaplains. The service was musically provided by the talented Dresden band boys. Bishop Heinrich Timmerevers spoke about the important role of pastoral care in stressful professional fields in his speech at this solemn event, which offered a space for exchange and appreciation.

The farewell to long-time Catholic police chaplains such as Pastor Dominikus Goth, Benjamin Braun and Pastor Franz Scharfenberg was an emotional highlight of the evening. At the same time, new pastors were appointed, including police dean Pastor Dr. Dietrich Oettler, Thomas Gömbi and Antonia Kirtzel, introduced to their tasks. This handover represents the continuous change and renewal within the police pastoral care, which has existed parallel to the police for over 100 years and represents a mainstay for the officers.

The importance of police pastoral care

Police chaplaincy is more than just an escort service. It offers a protected environment for conversations that are independent of police hierarchies and official structures. As on the website of the Police Pastoral Care Foundation As explained, the pastors are subject to absolute confidentiality and are confidential contacts for the civil servants, who are often exposed to the challenges of their everyday professional life. The tasks also include everyday accompaniment in patrol cars and during operations, right up to delivering bad news.

At the event, Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster emphasized the importance of charity in police work, especially in connection with the violent death of a police officer. It became clear how important pastoral support is, especially in times of existential crisis. Ms. Prof. Dr. Katharina Klöcker added her keynote speech about the challenges facing security institutions and provided valuable insights into the dynamics of police work.

A look into the future

The evening ended with a cozy standing reception in the cathedral house, followed by a cultural program by the big band from St. Benno-Gymnasium. This offered a successful opportunity for everyone present to exchange ideas and end the evening in a stimulating atmosphere. In a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Daniela Pscheida-Überreiter, experts such as Dr. Barbara Zeitler and State Police President Jörg Kubiessa about the practical experiences of working together between the police and pastoral care.

The intensive discussions and appreciative statements from church representatives once again underlined the important role of police chaplaincy. As stated in the recently published document of the German Bishops' Conference on police pastoral care, pastoral support is increasingly seen as essential by police chiefs and interior ministries. The Catholic Church thus remains a trusted partner alongside the police, regardless of denomination, religion or rank, and offers a confidential space for the issues that police officers deal with in everyday life.

For everyone involved, this reception was a sign of recognition, appreciation and hope for continued good cooperation in the future. Police chaplaincy remains an indispensable institution that provides support to both officers and the civilian population in difficult times.