The synodal path is not undisputed in the Catholic Church either. The chairman of the bishops’ conference states that the reform process is also causing controversy within its own ranks. Bätzing wants to answer a strict admonition from Rome and offers the Pope direct talks.
The chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, Georg Bätzing, has acknowledged the difficult situation within the Catholic Church in Germany. “It is a serious, critical situation,” said the Limburg bishop at the beginning of the spring plenary assembly of the bishops’ conference in Dresden and a few days before the next assembly of the so-called synodal path to church reform. It was not possible to go the synodal path in peace. Some even label this reform process as “division”. “Anyone who talks about division expects something from it,” said Bätzing. But he himself does not want it and does not speak of division.
Most recently, there had been open criticism of the synodal path from leading cardinals and also from Pope Francis. This was also triggered by a letter from five conservative German bishops who reject the contents of the synodal path. Bätzing criticized the fact that the members of the bishops’ conference did not know the content of the letter from the five colleagues, only the letter in reply to it from Rome.
This reply, which became known a month ago, caused a new escalation in the conflict between the Vatican and the German Church. In it, the Vatican denied the German Church the authority to set up a synodal council as planned, in which laypeople and clergy should accompany the work of the bishops as a permanent advisory and decision-making body.
Bätzing said that in the meantime he had written and sent a reply to the letter from Rome. But he doesn’t think it’s good to only communicate through letters. He was also ready “at any time at short notice” to travel to Rome for personal talks.
The synodal path is a reaction to the abuse scandal in the Catholic Church in Germany. Laypersons and clerics work in various thematic blocks on possible reforms, for example with a view to Catholic sexual morality, the role of priests and the position of women in the Catholic Church.
The next Synodal Assembly begins on March 9th. This is to elect 20 members of a synodal committee, which is then to prepare the synodal council rejected by the Vatican together with bishops and other lay people over the next three years.
