AfD leader says German churches play same role as during Third Reich

Berlin (dpa) - Alice Weidel, a leader of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), stirred outrage Thursday by saying the Catholic and the Protestant churches in Germany were deeply politicized and therefore playing the same role as during the Third Reich.In an interview with news magazine Focus, Weidel - the party‘s parliamentary group leader - said both arms of the Christian church "are politicized, through and through." "The separation of church and state is no longer being observed," Weidel told Focus. "This means that large parts of the church with just a few exceptions are playing the same inglorious role that they played during the Third Reich."The AfD won nearly 13 per cent of the vote in a September election, landing it in the Bundestag parliament for the first time. Its leaders are known for making controversial statements which they later row back from.Matthias Kopp, a spokesman for the Catholic Church, dismissed Weidel‘s comments as "polemic" and said he wished the politician an "insightful Christmas."Protestant Church spokesman Michael Brinkmann said Weidel should use the Christmas holiday "to come to her senses."