Cardinal concerned about where Synodal Path is leading

Cardinal Koch: "Every Church has its own idea".

The Swiss Curial Cardinal Kurt Koch is sceptical about the chances of deepening the unity of the churches. A common goal is lacking, he said in the run-up to the General Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Karlsruhe.

"Today we are faced with the difficulty that we still do not have a common vision of the goal of ecumenism," the Vatican's "ecumenical minister" told the "Badisches Tagblatt". "Each church has its own idea of the unity of its church and is therefore tempted to apply this idea to the goal of ecumenism," Koch said.

Do not impose anything on the partner

The Protestant Church in Germany (EKD), for example, has "developed its inner-Protestant ecumenical model and not infrequently tends to apply it in its relationship with us as well", the Catholic clergyman said.

"However, ecumenism cannot be about trying to impose something on the partner. Rather, we have to find out in dialogue what we have in common," said Koch, who will lead the Vatican delegation at the ecumenical meeting in Karlsruhe. From the end of August to 8 September, representatives from 350 churches will meet for the Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Karlsruhe.

Scepticism about the German Synodal Way

At the same time, Koch was sceptical about the reform process of the Catholic Church in Germany - the Synodal Path - two weeks before its next assembly. Pope Francis was concerned about the Synodal Path and had expressed this in a letter to the Church in Germany. "However, to date he does not have the impression that the concerns expressed in it are really taken seriously in Germany," Koch said.

"I share the Pope's perception," Koch continued. "I am following the Synodal Path very closely and am very concerned about where the path in the Catholic Church in Germany will lead. It is urgently necessary to enter into a responsible conversation about this with one another and to remain in it," he admonished.

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