"Rome wants to keep protest under the carpet at World Synod" Feminists excluded from Synod.

Superior General criticises non-appointment of ZdK President

The President of the Central Council of German Catholics, Irme Stetter-Karp, has not been appointed as a voting member of the World Synod. This displeases not only the Superior General of the Oberzell Franciscan Sisters.

A Franciscan who has forgotten her habit, yet wants to dictate to the Catholic Church

DOMRADIO.DE: Former members of the "Forum Women in Ministries and Offices of the Church" of the Synodal Way have written an open letter to the Vatican criticising the non-nomination of Irme Stetter-Karp. You also co-signed. Why would she have been the natural candidate for the World Synod in your eyes?

Sr Katharina Ganz (Superior General of the Oberzell Franciscan Sisters): She was president of the Synodal Way, she is president of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK). She would have been the face for the laity in the German Church and, as a woman with voting rights, would have been able to bring the concerns of Germany into the worldwide process.

DOMRADIO.DE: Who recommended Irme Stetter-Karp for the World Synod?

Sr Katharina Ganz: I assume that it was an agreement between the ZdK and the German Bishops' Conference. There was a letter to the participants of the European Assembly asking which of these 14 people would be willing and able to go to Rome for three weeks in the autumn, with the statement that those on the spot at the Continental Synod in Prague would be preferred. These were ZdK President Irme Stetter-Karp, DBK General Secretary Beate Gilles and ZdK Vice-President Thomas Söding.

Some of the online participants had also declared their willingness. But in the end, Irme Stetter-Karp was agreed upon, and that was definitely the right personnel choice.

Sister Katharina Ganz

"For me, this is another sad confirmation of what we have experienced before"

DOMRADIO.DE: But then she was not appointed. You see that as an affront. How do you interpret the decision of the Vatican?

Sr Katharina Ganz: For me it is another sad confirmation of what we have experienced before. That the Presidium of the Synodal Way was not able to speak even once with those responsible in Rome. They only ever received the bishops, but not the lay representatives.

In my view, this shows once again that they have not understood our German Synodal Way in Rome and do not meet the lay representatives at eye level, do not take them seriously.

DOMRADIO.DE: Perhaps also out of fear?

Sr Katharina Ganz: Probably they are indeed afraid of the clarity, the precision, the reflection and the power of the arguments with which we here in Germany have also tackled the structural and systemic causes of sexualised violence in our Church.

And for the fact that, after three and a half years, we have really reached decisions on power, the division of powers and the participation of all believers. Last but not least, there is the question of gender justice and the conditions for admission to the ordained ministry, which we discussed and decided with clear votes after Rome.

DOMRADIO.DE: Do you think that the concerns of the former forum "Women in Church Ministries" were not taken into account at the World Synod?

Sr Katharina Ganz: Yes, absolutely. We acknowledged in our letter that Mrs Helena Jeppsen-Spuhler from Switzerland is certainly a woman who stands up for similar concerns, who also networks strongly in the German-speaking countries in order to bundle the concerns of women in the Catholic Church throughout Europe or at least in the German-speaking countries and to represent them there as a mouthpiece.

Sister Katharina Ganz

"The core message is: there will be no woman with voting rights to bring the concerns of the majority of German Catholics into the Synod"

DOMRADIO.DE: Nevertheless, you do not want to simply accept Irme Stetter-Karp's rejection and have written to the responsible cardinals in the Vatican. What is the core message of your open letter?

Sr Katharina Ganz: The core message is: no woman with voting rights will bring the concerns of the majority of German Catholics into the Synod. But the gender perspective would be important because it will determine the future viability of our Church. Thomas Söding has been appointed as theological advisor, but he has no voting rights.

DOMRADIO.DE: You haven't heard anything from Rome yet. How optimistic are you that you will get an answer?

Sr Katharina Ganz: At least we wanted to make ourselves heard. Ultimately, it is a question of transparency: How did the European Bishops' Conference receive the proposals from the 39 local churches? Who decided who would be recommended?

There is simply a lack of transparency in communication about criteria. It can now be said that the Pope actually wants to have representatives of all inner-church camps in the Synod. At least that is clear from the appointments. But from Germany, the balance is somehow not apparent to me, to be honest.

DOMRADIO.DE: In your opinion, what are the consequences for the World Synod if people like Stetter-Karp are not allowed to have a say and, above all, are not allowed to make decisions?

Sr Katharina Ganz: Listening is considered very important. But I miss the spiritual and theological discernment. I also think there is a lack of a culture of debate, even though it is very Catholic, very Christian, to engage in argumentative debate and not simply to give more weight to the bishop's voice than to the voice of the laity, the other baptised people of God.

There are voices from all over the world saying: "We need a deeper understanding of what baptism means. What does it entitle us to? And how can we overcome discrimination against women in our church?"

My impression is that in the Vatican they want to keep the turmoil, the protest under the carpet. That is why every disputatious woman would be an asset for the male-dominated World Synod.

Source