Why the modernists dislike Heiligenkreuz so much. Heiligenkreuz University identified in 2022 "problem areas" of the Synodal Path.

 Synodality: Heiligenkreuz University Identifies "Problem Areas"

Cistercian University warns against the "Synodal Path" taken in Germany. Do not defame the connection between ordination and leadership as clericalism.

In its statement on synodality as a contribution to the 2023 Synod of Bishops in Rome, the "Philosophical and Theological University Benedict XVI Heiligenkreuz" has identified several "problem areas" for an ecclesiastical "journey together." In its text, which was provided to Kathpress, the Cistercian University repeatedly warns against the "Synodal Path" taken by the Catholic Church in Germany, but also against a trivialisation of the Christian faith in the wake of secularization phenomena that can also be observed within the Church itself.

"Erosion and deconstruction" of Faith

There is an "erosion and deconstruction" of traditional Catholic beliefs in the religious consciousness of quite a few Catholic Christians: "Religious knowledge has reached a low point." The "frightening divergence between the teaching authority, theology, and spirituality in the German-speaking world" is a cause for concern.

In Germany, with the "Synodal Path," a radical questioning of the sacramental understanding of the priest is clearly evident, "which threatens the very essence of the Ordo (ecclesiastical office; note)." In the question of the relationship between priests and lay people, "developments that could almost be described as ideological" are evident, as is a reduction to a merely structural "question of power."

The connection between ordination and leadership, which was specifically established by the Second Vatican Council, must not be dissolved or defamed as clericalism. According to the university, a "reform" such as the "Synodal Path" apparently strives for "not only represents an attack on the priesthood, but also calls into question the hierarchical constitution of the Church, which has its roots in the event of revelation."

Synod is not a "parliament"

The Roman Synod should therefore clearly oppose all "attempts to Protestantize" the Church's leadership, as well as attempts to transfer politically functional structures to the Church, it stated.

A warning should be issued against "accepting demands that seek to introduce the constitution of the 'Synodal Path' in Germany into the Roman Synod." The Synod should not be a "parliament" in which – as in Germany – lay people and bishops vote on matters of faith on an equal footing.

The Catholic theological faculties of Austria also contributed to the universal church synodal process with a public statement before the Heiligenkreuz University. "Don't leave the Bishops alone!" was the call to stand together for a missionary church. "Ultimately, the church is not about who decides, but rather about the Missio Dei, about God's plan for the world and for humanity," said the faculties in Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, and Innsbruck. This also means that church structures as a whole must constantly be "reviewed and further developed" in light of this mission.

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