German Bishops respond to Rome

The German Bishops Conference (DBK) has published the letter from its chairman Bishop Georg Bätzing to the Roman Curia, with which he reacted to the Vatican's ban on the planned synodal council, which was also sent in a letter. In the letter addressed to Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Prefects Luis Ladaria and Marc Ouellet, Bätzing assures "that we take seriously the concerns you have expressed about the questions of a Synodal Committee and a Synodal Council". At the start of the spring plenary assembly of the German bishops on Monday in Dresden, Bätzing announced that he had written his own letter to the Vatican letter on the Synodal Council published by the DBK on January 23 and announced that his letter would also be published .

The Synodal Committee, which is to prepare the Synodal Council over the next three years, is a sign that there is still a great need for clarification with regard to future synodal cooperation. "The original proposal was to set up a synodal council immediately. In exercising our episcopal responsibility, we were unable to agree to this proposal and the result of the joint consideration is the interim step of the synodal committee, which is entirely in line with our guidelines," said Bätzing in the letter published on Wednesday.

DBK chairman is waiting for a "timely meeting" in Rome

The DBK chairman also announced that he would deepen theological questions in the circle of bishops regarding the considerations raised by the three cardinals: "Therefore I ask for your understanding if I do not go into individual aspects of your statements in this letter, but gladly and I gratefully accept the offer of talks you have suggested." He thanked the three cardinals if they made it possible to have "an appointment as soon as possible" in Rome after the forthcoming fifth and last synodal assembly of the synodal path, which will take place in Frankfurt am Main next week.

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