Summary
Dr. Dorothea Schmidt, a commentator from BeneDicta, addressed the German Catholic Church’s Synodal Way in Regensburg. The last Synodal Assembly concluded but has left significant polarizing effects across Germany’s Catholic Church. Key aspects include the implementation of new ethics and anthropology alongside new church understandings. The Synodal Way pressures bishops to relinquish their authority over lay committees, which oversee decisions made during the Synodale Way process. This transfer of power was evident as a list of 17 demands for Bishops’ appointments was read aloud at the Synodal Assembly. These include procedures for laity involvement in bishop elections, ending mandatory celibacy for priests, removing certain passages from the Catechism regarding homosexual behavior, revising existing guidelines, and permitting lapsed Catholics to enter the priesthood. The German Catholic Church has established a parallel structure of church governance under these new policies. Despite initial claims that this did not violate the last 2000 years’ teachings, there is now transparency about how far this movement intends to go. Papal authorities in Rome have already indicated they will take action to prevent further developments.
Key Topics
Synodal Weg, Bischöfe, Priestersponsoring
