The President of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), Irme Stetter-Karp, has sided with the Chairman of the Catholic German Bishops’ Conference, Georg Bätzing, in the dispute with the Vatican over church reforms. The fact that Bätzing defends himself against allegations is absolutely correct, says Stetter-Karp according to a statement on Tuesday. A letter from the Vatican had once again revealed differences among the German Catholic bishops about the progress of church reforms.
The origin of the recent differences is a letter from five conservative bishops who are critical of reforms to the Holy See in December. The (arch)bishops of Cologne, Regensburg, Augsburg, Passau and Eichstätt had written to the Holy See because they apparently feel compelled to participate in a new reform body that is due to start work this year.
Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, the most important political man in the Vatican after Pope Francis, responded in a letter published by the Bishops’ Conference on Monday evening. Accordingly, the bishops are not obliged to participate. Parolin and other curial cardinals fear a weakening of the episcopate.
The new body, the so-called Synodal Committee, is to advise on the establishment of a permanent Synodal Council by 2026, which is to continue the reform process of the Synodal Path.
Bishop Bätzing explained that he experienced synodal counseling as a strengthening of the episcopal office. “No one questions the authority of the episcopate,” emphasized the Limburg bishop in the statement published by the bishops’ conference on Monday evening.
ZdK President Stetter-Karp emphasized that the bishopric would be strengthened by the planned committee, not weakened. “I’m glad to see that the overwhelming majority of German bishops stick to the Synodal Way,” she said.
The last Synodal Assembly of the Synodal Path will take place in March in Frankfurt am Main. The process started on December 1, 2019 and was initially designed for two years, but it was extended due to the corona pandemic.
In the synodal path, bishops and lay people discuss church reforms in the course of the abuse crisis, including more power and separation of powers in the church, changes in Catholic sexual morality and the role of women. The Bishops’ Conference and the Central Committee lead the process on an equal footing. (epd)
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