Leading Synodalist, Catholic Youth activitist and #OutInChurch supporter leaves Catholic Church but stays involved in Catholic Youth

Young synod member Lukas Färber resigns from church.

Among other things, he wrote that he considered the Catholic official church "hardly reformable".

Lukas Färber, former diocesan chairman of the Catholic Youth Community (KJG) in the diocese of Münster and one of the delegates of the Synodal Way under 30, has left the Church. He made this public on the short message service Twitter on Tuesday.

Today, he declared his "resignation from the Catholic Church" at the Münster District Court. He considers it "hardly reformable", as he wrote in one of the Twitter messages. In addition, he referred to the faith and the Christian message that the official church "should actually proclaim in all its actions and speech".

"Is and remains" busy at BDKJ

Färber "is and will remain" project officer for the 72-hour social action 2024 of the Catholic youth associations at the Federation of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ) in the Münster diocese, BDKJ diocesan president Felix Elbers told "Kirche-und-Leben.de". He did not want to comment on Färber's decision.

The KJG in the Münster diocese, of which Färber was honorary chairman until recently, also did not comment on the move. KJG diocesan director Sarah Frisse told "Kirche-und-Leben.de" that Färber was still a member of the diocesan association's election committee.

"Fought for reforms"

Färber wrote that he was leaving "not because of taxes or out of convenience". The decision had taken a long time to mature and was painful, but he had "the reassuring feeling that I was doing the right thing".

He had fought with many for reforms in the church: "We were united by the goal, unrealistic from the outset, of dismantling the systemic causes of sexualised violence."

"A powerless experience"

He also accused the official church of misogyny, i.e. disregard for women, and queer hostility. "Absolutist and non-transparent power structures" would enable this discrimination and violence and prevent necessary reforms.

Despite encouraging experiences, the Synodal Path was for him "above all an experience of powerlessness", said Färber. In the end, "a few good texts, far too many soft-washed 'compromises' - or rather: capitulations? - and above all: no commitments whatsoever".

Involved in #OutInChurch

Not least, personal and indirect experiences of discrimination had contributed to his distancing himself more and more from the church. This had included conversations with bishops and other clerics, but also comments and letters from conservative Catholics.

Färber had also taken part in the #OutInChurch campaign. Around 125 employees and members of the church came out as queer, i.e. as homosexual or transgender, and spoke out in favour of reforms.

At the same time, Färber emphasised: "I am and remain baptised. I am and remain a Christian. I am and remain a youth worker." This commitment - also for the 72-hour action and the BDKJ - "does not end today".

Source

Cathcon:  It is a tactic of Synodalists to threaten to leave the Church if they cannot fashion the Church in their own image.  Now a Synodalist has actually done it.  Synodalism is nothing but a solvent dissolving the Catholic Church.