Synod regenerates in Germany. The force is weakening.
Bishops and lay people want to create new Advisory Body
"Synodal Path," "Synodal Committee," "Synodal Council," and "Synodal Conference." The Catholic Church in Germany is grappling with a new way of working together between bishops and laity. Now, a crucial decision is being made.
It all began almost exactly six years ago with a call for reforms and spiritual renewal. Under the impact of a long-standing crisis within the Church, and exacerbated by the abuse scandal, the bishops and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) launched the Synodal Path at the end of 2019. Key topics included sexual morality, the priestly way of life, power and the separation of powers, and the role of women in the Church.
Following the Synodal Path came the Synodal Committee. Its main task was to create a body to facilitate ongoing dialogue between bishops and laypeople. At what is expected to be the final meeting of the Synodal Committee this Friday and Saturday in Fulda, a constitution for the future body—the Synodal Conference—is to be adopted.
Public interest in the beginning of the Synodal Path was as high as the sense of optimism among the approximately 230 synod members, who met five times as the Synodal Assembly until spring 2023. The event will be remembered for its passionate debates on sensitive topics such as the handling of sexual diversity. A number of documents were adopted, including those concerning preaching opportunities for laypeople and blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples.
Public interest in the start of the Synodal Path was considerable, as was the spirit of optimism among the approximately 230 synod members, who convened five times as the Synodal Assembly until spring 2023. The Conflict of Blessing Homosexuals
In September, Pope Leo XIV spoke out against blessing rituals for homosexuals in an interview, emphasizing the importance of the family of "father, mother, and child" for society. The chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing, subsequently stated that there was no reason to withdraw the German guidelines. Once again, it became clear how precarious the path of those advocating for reform is—and how critically the Vatican is monitoring the German project.
This had already become apparent during the work of the Synodal Committee. The transitional body, nominally consisting of 74 members, was intended to continue the remaining debates of the Synodal Path and, above all, to prepare for the establishment of a Synodal Council, in which bishops and laypeople would jointly deliberate and make decisions in the future. For the Vatican, however, as it has repeatedly made clear, the red line is crossed when laypeople make binding decisions on an equal footing with bishops.
The Bishops of Passau, Regensburg, and Eichstätt, as well as the Archbishop of Cologne, therefore did not even attend the committee's four meetings to date—even though a delegation led by Bishop Bätzing assured them during a visit to the Vatican that they would not create any new leadership structures for the Catholic Church in Germany against Rome's wishes.
Synodal Conference instead of Synodal Council
Furthermore, the Vatican objected to the name: Reportedly, the term "Synodal Council" suggests, from Rome's perspective, overly broad powers. So the council was eventually renamed the "Synodal Conference." It is to consist of the 27 diocesan bishops, the same number of members of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), and 27 other Catholics.
According to the draft statutes, which are available to the Catholic News Agency (KNA), the new body is to address, among other things, "significant developments in state, society, and the Church" and deliberate and decide on "important questions of church life of supra-diocesan significance."
However, the whole thing still harbours considerable potential for conflict—especially regarding how the concept of "deciding" can be formulated in a way that is also acceptable from the Vatican's perspective. The members of the Synodal Committee have apparently submitted numerous amendments to the draft, which is to be adopted in Fulda, over the past few months. Another sticking point is likely to be the question of whether lay people will also have a say in the financial affairs of the Catholic Church in Germany.
Last week, a delegation from the German Bishops' Conference, including Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau, traveled to Rome for talks with high-ranking representatives of the Roman Curia regarding the future statutes of the Synodal Conference. The meeting was described as having taken place in an honest, open, and constructive atmosphere, during which the nature, composition, and competencies of the body were discussed. It can be assumed that the German bishops explored the possibilities to ensure that a set of statutes can be adopted in Fulda that won't be immediately rejected by Rome. Without approval from the Vatican, the planned Synodal Conference cannot commence.
Something for specialists
Reservations about the new body also exist among those bishops who are more aligned with the reformist camp. The complaint is that it's yet another body that needs to be staffed—especially with a steadily declining number of full-time and volunteer personnel. It is already feared that Catholics in the parishes between Hamburg and Passau are no longer following the wrangling over agendas and wording in detail. The reform dialogue has become something more for specialists. And to make matters even more confusing for outsiders, there will be a final meeting of the Synodal Path at the end of January.
The meeting in Stuttgart will then evaluate whether and how the results of the initiative launched in 2019 have been implemented. No new impetus is expected to be given at this meeting. That will be the responsibility of the Synodal Conference in the future.
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