In the German Bishops’ Conference, the dispute over the continuation of the “Synodal Path” has escalated. During the meeting of the so-called Permanent Council, to which all 27 diocesan bishops belong, four of them declared that they would not participate in the financing of the work of the new “Synodal Committee” by the Association of German Diocese. Since budgetary decisions must be taken unanimously, the future of this committee is now in the stars.
In winter, it was approved by the General Assembly of the “Synodal Path” with a large majority. It is said to have more than 70 members and will meet for the first time in November.
His tasks include, among other things, monitoring the implementation of the “Synodal Path” resolutions made since 2019 and preparing the formation of a church parliament, to which a large part of the powers of the Bishops’ Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics are to be transferred from 2026 onwards.
Criticism from ZdK President
The four bishops Gregor Maria Hanke (Eichstätt), Stefan Oster (Passau), Rainer Maria Woelki (Cologne) and Rudolf Voderholzer (Regensburg) consider this plan to be absurd. They are of the opinion that many resolutions of the “Synodal Path” contradict the relevant determinations of the Church’s Magisterium and the convictions of many Catholic Christians worldwide. Instead of pushing ahead with national reforms, they are urging that the concerns be brought to the World Bishops’ Synod on Synodality, which begins in Rome in October.
The majority of bishops in Germany have so far not been convinced by the dissidents and are now looking for alternative financing options for the “Synodal Committee”. However, this body does not even exist on paper. Although the members have been established, there is still a lack of a statute and rules of procedure, as well as a legally viable procedure for the preparation and approval of these texts.
The Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) accused the four bishops, who do not want to participate in the financing of the planned synodal committee, of a “lack of seriousness”. “Change must be organized,” said ZdK President Irme Stetter-Karp on Tuesday. The fact that the four bishops did not want to support the progress of the “Synodal Path” jointly decided in 2019 with their church taxes “cannot prevent us from reforms”.
