Four German bishops block funding for permanent synodal council

Thursday, June 22nd, 2023

Four German bishops voted on Tuesday against funding the synod committee preparing to introduce a permanent German synodal council to oversee the Church in Germany.

The four bishops are Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne and three bishops from Bavaria: Gregor Maria Hanke, OSB, of Eichstätt; Stefan Oster of Passau; and Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg.

The German Bishops’ Conference issued a statement on June 20: “For a large majority of the diocesan bishops, it is important that the 15 decisions of the synodal assembly be implemented as soon as possible.”

However, the statement continued that since a unanimous decision of the bishops is needed to provide financial and human resources, “and four bishops have declared that they will not agree to further financing of the Synodal Way,” it is now necessary to find other ways of financing, according to a report by CNA Deutsch.

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