Theologian claims Synodal Path no threat to unity

...and supports incorporation of nature and ancestor worship into Catholic worship.

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The Vatican fears that the German Synodal Path could threaten the unity of the Catholic Church. Theologian, Christian Tauchner rejects this, saying it is wrong to define Catholicism only in Roman terms and to suppress other theologies.

Theologian, Christian Tauchner refutes Vatican fears that the German reform process, the Synodal Path could threaten the unity of the Catholic Church. Diversity, he says, is not a danger to the Church - on the contrary. "If the same rules are enforced without regard for different cultures, the danger of fragmentation is much greater," the missiologist told the newspapers of the Verlagsgruppe Bistumspresse (Diocesan Press Publishing Group) (Sunday) in Osnabrück.

In a statement published last week, the Vatican had warned Catholics in Germany against going it alone in church reforms. Rome was referring to the Synodal Path reform process, in which bishops and laity have been discussing the future of church life in Germany together since 2019. The main topics are sexual morality, the priestly way of life, power and the separation of powers and the role of women in the church. The declaration triggered a controversial debate on the reform process and the Holy See's communication methods. While the Presidium of the Synodal Path rejected the statement, individual bishops welcomed it.

"Unity does not mean uniformity"

"Unity does not mean uniformity," stressed Tauchner, who is director of the Society of the Divine Word (Steyler Fathers) Institute for Missiology in Sankt Augustin. "It does not break unity if homosexuality is seen differently in one culture than in another." When gay couples are blessed in Germany, for example, this does not irritate an Indonesian any more than the fact that Germans take the host in their left hand. That is just as taboo there as homosexuality, according to Tauchner.

The theologian and priest referred to the numerous differences that already exist in the regions of the universal Church. For example, the rule that a bishop is elected by the cathedral chapter only exists in Germany. Many dioceses in the world had never introduced permanent deacons. Moreover, the diocesan pastoral council anchored in church law does not exist in some dioceses.

According to the missiologist, it is wrong to define Catholicism only in Roman terms and to suppress other theologies - such as liberation theology but also those that incorporate local traditions from nature religions or ancestor worship. "Maybe we don't understand these approaches, but that doesn't mean they are wrong or should be banned."