She’s a moral authority in the Lutheran nation of Germany. But Margot Kässmann, "the idol of millions of Christians", is about to "go through hell”, headline the tabloids. Right in the middle of Lent, the bishop got arrested by the police for driving under the influence with a blood alcohol level of 1.54 per mill after she ran a red light. Die Welt, traditionally hostile to the bishop’s “over-inflated ego”, argues “there is a difference between your man in the street” and “a person who embodies a higher moral authority than just about any other public office in the country”. The extremely popular head of Germany’s Lutheran Church has always been known for her outspokenness and her habit of putting her oar in on political issues. A few weeks ago she sparked a general outcry in the media by declaiming that “nothing is alright in Afghanistan" and that liberal vice-chancellor Guido Westerwelle is “jeopardising the country’s social consensus". As of 4 p.m. CET, 24 February, she resigned from all her functions.
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