“We have prayed, discussed and also endured the many unresolved questions,” the president of the German Bishops’ Conference, Georg Bätzing, said, summing up the previous five days.

Based on a biblical text blaming the Jews for the stoning of Saint Stephen, Bätzing also dealt with Christian anti-Semitism. “Here we Christians carry a heavy burden,” said the bishop of Limburg.

“The guilt that Christianity has brought upon itself over the centuries through degradation and slander is almost immeasurable.

“I am glad that today we can speak of and with our brothers and sisters in faith in a reconciled way.

“As a church, we stand up with all our strength against any kind of anti-Semitism.”

The participants of the open-air service responded with spontaneous applause.