Division in the German Bishops' Conference over the "Synodal Committee".Pope concerned about the German Synodal CommitteeLast week, the traditional Spring Plenary Assembly of the German Bishops' Conference (DBK) in the monastery of Steinfeld in the Diocese of Aachen. After years of the "Synodal Way", which began in 2019, the bishops now seek to consolidate this initiative through a "Synodal Committee".
The Vatican has repeatedly stated its opposition to the creation of a body composed of bishops, priests and laity that could make decisions on the election of bishops and evaluate their activities. On January 16, 2023, the Cardinal Secretary of State and the cardinal prefects of the dicasteries for the Doctrine of the Faith and for Bishops, with the "specific approval" of Pope Francis, informed the president of the DBK that "neither the Synodal Way, nor a body appointed by it, nor a national bishops' conference" are authorized to establish such a body, as it would constitute "a new structure of Church governance in Germany, which (....) seems to place itself above the authority of the Bishops' Conference and to replace it de facto".
The Synodal Way attempted to circumvent this prohibition by not directly creating the Synodal Council, but rather a Synodal Committee, whose purpose is to prepare for the creation of such a Synodal Council. In a letter dated November 10, 2023, Pope Francis expressed his concern about "the constitution of the Synodal Committee," warning that its goal of establishing a consultative and decision-making body cannot be harmonized with the sacramental structure of the Catholic Church, so its creation was rejected by the Holy See in the communication of January 16, 2023, "which I specifically approved."
The Vatican and the Synodal Committee
In March 2024, a delegation of German bishops met with six representatives of Vatican dicasteries, among them Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. According to the Catholic news agency KNA, the German bishops "have de facto committed themselves not to create new leadership structures for the Catholic Church in Germany against the will of Rome."
However, in June 2024, the president of the DBK, Msgr. Georg BätzingThe Synodal Committee has the approval of the Cardinal Secretary of State and the participating cardinals, and we can move forward with the statute we have drawn up. What more could we ask for?
During the Steinfeld Assembly, Bishop Bätzing declared: "We want to consolidate the synodal path, synodality in all of Germany. Addressing the position of the four bishops - Gregor Maria Hanke (Eichstätt), Stefan Oster (Passau), Rudolf Voderholzer (Regensburg) and Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki (Cologne) - who have refused to participate in this Synodal Committee, he stated that "if there is a national body that has the approval of Rome and is aligned with the World Synod, it will be difficult to justify non-participation". He also mentioned that further talks are planned between the Vatican and a German delegation.
Sexual abuse in Germany
The Spring Assembly addressed a number of issues, including the investigation of sexual abuse. Reportedly, more than 57 million euros have already been paid to victims of sexual violence. Although the bishops acknowledge that psychological damage cannot be compensated financially, they consider the investigation and compensation process to be "the only possibility."
Church and politics
However, in the press conference at the conclusion of the Assembly, political questions dominated. Acknowledging that "as a Catholic Church we are not a political party," Bätzing stated that "the Gospel gives us a clear political mandate, based on our vision of man and God. Ahead of the February 23 general election, a joint communication by "the Catholic and Evangelical Church" drew criticism; for example, former CDU President Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer decided to suspend her collaboration in the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) and CSU leader Markus Söder urged the churches to adopt a more moderate stance on political issues.
A year ago, in February 2024, the DBK published an official text condemning the AfD (Alternative for Germany) party for its inclination towards "ethnic nationalism," stating that "extreme right-wing parties" cannot be "a place of political activity for Christians nor be eligible."
Now, after the success of the AfD, also in Catholic circles - it is estimated that 18 % of Catholics voted for this party - Bätzing admitted mistakes, acknowledging that the concerns of many people had not been "taken seriously". While stressing that there is nothing in common between the AfD party and the Church, he said the Church must dialogue with the party's voters to understand their motivations and promote its own positions.
But on the other hand, Bätzing warned that the times are over in which "it could be claimed that disgruntled people voted for the AfD and that a distinction must be made between the party and its voters," because those who "voted for the AfD in the Bundestag elections knew what they were supporting and should not count on our solidarity."
In this context, it is striking that Bätzing speaks of "democratic forces", excluding the AfD, but apparently not far-left parties such as Die Linke ("The Left"), heirs of the manifestly atheistic socialist-communist party that dominated the GDR, or the Greens, whose ideology, which includes the defense of free abortion and gender ideology, distances itself from Christian thought.
Current issues discussed at the Assembly
The DBK president also referred to Ukraine, Putin and the new US administration: "If the aggressor achieves his goals, even partially, this will not lead to a lasting peace, but will endanger the whole of Europe". He considers the strategy of the U.S. government "simply irresponsible, to try now a rapprochement with Putin, to exert pressure, even to come to blackmail measures," as this could lead to Ukraine "surrendering to the aggressor, which would be a scandal." He expressed his desire for peace, "but not at a price imposed on Ukraine."
In addition, Bishop Bätzing also spoke about another of the "hot topics": the participation of women in the Church. Although one third of the leadership positions are already occupied by women, he issued a warning: "Do not think that the question of the admission of women to sacramental offices will calm down because they occupy more and more leadership positions in the Church, but the opposite will be the case. There will be more pressure. "And, among all these issues, where is the call to evangelization, which Pope Francis has called for, for example, in his "Letter to the People of God on pilgrimage in Germany" (June 29, 2019), when he stressed the need for prayer, penance and adoration?
Asked how the bishops would respond to this call, Bätzing assured that there was no topic on the assembly agenda that was "related to the Gospel..., evangelization is everywhere." He affirmed that the question of how to "integrate the wonderful attractiveness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ into the concerns of people and, as a Church, to open ways and establish dialogues" is the "common thread" of all Episcopal Assemblies.
