Honor where honor is due, wrote the Apostle Paul to the Romans.
A party that calls itself Christian would have to follow this advice.
But there can be different ideas about who deserves how much worship, even among Christians.
And that even in the case of the very long-standing leader Angela Merkel, who had not given up the leadership of the party prematurely without good reason.
But Merkel spares the CDU and above all herself from such a debate: she waives the election as honorary chairwoman.
The outgoing party leader Laschet was able to quote his predecessor as saying that this honorary position no longer fits into the times.
Never such an intimate relationship as Kohl
The precautionary waiver of this title should not have been more difficult for Merkel than the cancellation of the dinner to which Merz had invited her.
She no longer has to make any compromises.
And no one knows better than Merkel that the honorary presidency does not protect against being knocked off his pedestal. In the course of the donation scandal, her criticism of Kohl made a significant contribution to his resignation from this honorary post.
Merkel has never had such a close relationship with the CDU as Kohl.
She's also not the type to dwell on past times and contacts.
Your renunciation of the honor, which of course would have had to be decided first, is therefore: honest.