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A plan to extend Germany’s “synodal way” indefinitely through a permanent “synodal council” isn’t pleasing all Church leaders.
The proposed council would be a powerful “advisory and decision-making body” consisting of both bishops and lay people.
If created, it would mark a radical change in the structure of the Catholic Church in Germany.
Advocates say the council would ensure Church hierarchy and laity shared responsibility for the Church’s future at a time when German Catholics are leaving the Church in droves.
However, theologian Cardinal Walter Kasper says the proposal threatens to destroy the structure “that Christ wanted for his Church”.
The idea of a permanent “advisory and decision-making body” will be discussed for the second time at the synodal way’s next plenary session in September.
That is when the document “Sustainable Strengthening of Synodality: A Synodal Council for the Catholic Church in Germany” will have its second reading.
The first reading initially passed the notice of most observers. The proposal was endorsed by 138 votes in favour, 32 against and 9 abstentions. It was then passed to a working group for further consideration.
The text recommends the council should be “composed in a similar manner” to the synodal assembly (i.e. of bishops and lay people) and “should have a gender- and generation-appropriate composition.
“With the exception of the members of the German bishops’ conference, the members of the synodal council are to be elected in free, equal and secret elections for a term of five years. The members of the synodal council have equal voting rights.”
The synodal council would meet at least twice a year and be supported by a permanently staffed secretariat.
It would have the power to make “fundamental decisions on budgetary issues that are not decided at the level of the dioceses, as well as on pastoral planning and future perspectives of supra-diocesan significance”.
It would also promote “the social, catechetical and missionary relations of the Catholic Church in Germany with the local churches throughout the world and with the Holy See”.
In addition, the council would adopt resolutions “with a two-thirds majority of the members present, carried by at least two-thirds of the members of the German bishops’ conference present, and on the motion of two-thirds of the female members of the synodal assembly present”.
An intermediary body – the “synodal committee” – would lay the groundwork for creating the council while making “fundamental decisions” on budgetary issues at a national level.
The synodal committee would consist of 27 diocesan bishops, 27 members elected by the influential lay Central Committee of German Catholics (Zkd) and 10 members elected by the bishops and the Zkd.
The proposal for September’s discussion also says the council’s decisions would have “at least the same legal effect as the resolutions of the synodal assembly”.
The council would meet in public and be chaired jointly by the chairman of the German bishops’ conference and ZdK president.
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