Vatican Warning on Germany’s ‘Synodal Path’

Jul 23, 2022 | 0 comments

In a clear ‘shot across the bow’ of Germany’s ‘Synodal Path’ process – ongoing since 2019 – a Vatican statement has warned that nothing decided by Catholics in Germany alone can lawfully bind Germany’s bishops, who are obliged by their office to maintain unity with the universal church.

The statement insists that “it seems necessary to clarify that the ‘Synodal Path’ in Germany does not have the faculty to oblige the bishops and the faithful to adopt new forms of governance and new approaches to doctrine and morality.

And: “It will not be permitted to initiate new structures or official doctrines in the dioceses before an agreement has been reached at the level of the universal Church.

The Vatican statement also expressed the hope that the German Synodal Path “will be integrated” into the process of the universal synod on the future of the Church, which Pope Francis launched in September 2021. That universal process is to culminate in the autumn of 2023.

Pope Francis is also known to be concerned about the possibility of Germany ‘going it alone’ on issues such as the ordination of married men and of women, and the blessing of same sex unions. In a recent interview with Jesuit magazines he said that Germany already has “a very good Protestant Church“, adding “we don’t need two of them“.

La Croix International reports a German Vatican source as saying: “At some point, the German bishops will need to clearly say, ‘We follow Rome’ or ‘We don’t follow it‘”.

With the German ‘synodal path’ set to reach another decisive stage in September 2022, Germany’s bishops are now in a most difficult place – with many thousands of Catholics leaving the church every year in the wake of shocking revelations of clerical sexual abuse of minors in 2018.

(In September of that year a report by the German Catholic Church found that 3,677 German children, mostly 13 or younger, had been sexually abused by Catholic clergy between 1946 and 2014.)

For the complete report of the Vatican’s warning in ‘La Croix Internationalclick here.

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ACI’s Campaign for Lumen Gentium 37

The Promise of Synodality

What we have experienced of synodality so far gives ACI real hope that a longstanding structural injustice in the church may at last be acknowledged and overcome.

As all Irish bishops well know, the 'co-responsibility' they urge lay people to share - as numbers and energies of clergy decline - has been sabotaged time and again by canonical rules that deny representational authority and continuity to parish pastoral councils.  ACI's 2019 call for the immediate honouring of Lumen Gentium Article 37 becomes more urgent by the day and is supported by the following documents - also presented to the ICBC in October 2019.

The Common Priesthood of the People of God and the Renewal of the Church
It was Catholic parents and victims of clerical abuse who taught Catholic Bishops to prioritise the safeguarding of children in the church

Jesus as Model for the Common Priesthood of the People of God
It was for challenging religious hypocrisy and injustice that Jesus was accused and crucified. He is therefore a model for the common priesthood of the laity and for the challenging of injustice - in society and within the church.

A Suggested Strategy for the Recovery of the Irish and Western Catholic Church
Recovery of the church depends upon acknowledgment of the indispensable role of the common priesthood of the lay people of God and the explicit abandonment by bishops and clergy of paternalism and clericalism - the expectation of deference from lay people rather than honesty and integrity.

For the full story of ACI's campaign for the honouring of Article 37 of Lumen Gentium, click here.

Prayer

"Come Holy Spirit, Renew Your wonders in this our day, as by a new Pentecost. Grant to Your Church that, being of one mind and steadfast in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and following the lead of blessed Peter, it may advance the reign of our Divine Saviour, the reign of truth and justice, the reign of love and peace. Amen."

Saint Pope John XXIII, 1962 - In preparation for Vatican Council II, 1962-65.

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