Upcoming German “Synod” Stirs Controversy

In December, the German bishops’ conference is slated to host a meeting (designated by the bishops as a “synod”, despite lack of approval from the Holy See) that will act as a forum for discussion of several issues faced by the Church in Germany. These discussion points will include the role of women in the Church, Catholic teaching on sexual morality, the daily life and discipline of priests, and Church power dynamics.

In an effort to include lay perspectives, the German bishops’ conference has given the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), the largest lay organization in Germany, a significant role in the synodal process. 

According to Fr. Bernd Hagenkord, S.J., “The starting point for this synodal journey was a study commissioned by the bishops themselves on the theme of sexual abuse by the clergy and consecrated persons, but there are also other issues, such as the ageing of communities, the lack of vocations, the non-acceptance of Catholic teaching on sexuality and the lifestyle of priests.”

Since its inception, the proposed synodal process has been met with much controversy.

Many questions have been raised regarding the authority of the meeting, which has come to be referred to as the “German Synod.” Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising and president of the German bishops’ conference, has instead called it a “Synodal Way,” emphasizing that it is neither a traditional Synod nor a “Particular Council” which would have the authority to pass binding resolutions. 

Some, including Cardinal Marc Oullet, head of the Congregation for Bishops in Rome, have argued that — regardless of the designation of the meeting — “the German synodal themes involved universal Church discipline and settled doctrinal teaching and were beyond the proper scope for the bishops of a single country to consider.” In response, Cardinal Marx wrote, “We hope that the results of forming an opinion [on these issues] in our country will also be helpful for the guidance of the universal Church and for other episcopal conferences on a case-by-case basis.”

Further concern has been raised due to unorthodox opinions held by members of the ZdK. The Catholic News Agency notes that “ZdK leaders have taken consistent positions in opposition to settled universal Church teaching and discipline including calling for the ordination of women, the blessing of same-sex unions in churches, the abdication of Church teaching on homosexuality, and the ending of clerical celibacy.” Whether the group as a whole will demonstrate a commitment to orthodoxy in the synodal context is remains to be seen.

The planning of the December “Synodal Way” has persisted despite disapproval from the Vatican. Pope Francis urged the council in a letter to be wary of “the temptation of the father of the lie and of division, the master of separation, who, pushing us to seek some apparent good or answer to a specific situation, ends up by fragmenting the body of the holy People of God.” He also advised the conference to consider the importance of evangelizing the marginalized. 

In response to the Holy Father’s letter, the preamble for the statutes of the synodal process was revised to reference the importance of these concerns, though the controversial topics on the agenda were not changed.

Featured image courtesy of Universität Salzburg via Flickr