"Faced with the questions of today's women and men, the challenges of our time, the urgency of evangelisation and the many wounds that afflict humanity, we cannot sit still" the pope stated.

Francis highlighted the importance of inclusivity. He urged the Church to be open and attentive to the marginalised rather than focusing inward.

The Synod, which lasted several weeks, brought clergy and lay participants from around the world together to discuss pressing matters such as social justice, youth engagement and environmental stewardship.

The Synod's decision-making process marked a significant shift, with Pope Francis authorising unprecedented collaboration in drafting the final document.

Small sensation

For the first time, bishops, clergy and lay members jointly crafted the Synod's outcomes. This was hailed as a "small sensation" by Irme Stetter-Karp, President of the Central Committee of German Catholics.

Stetter-Karp saw the shift as an essential move towards a collaborative and inclusive Church that reflects the needs and perspectives of all its members.

"However, it is still clear to see that this World Synod was also a synod of bishops" emphasised Stetter-Karp. "It did not go so far as to derive a consistent equality of the sexes from the inalienable dignity of every human being."

Women's leadership

Meanwhile, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, urged the Synod of Bishops to act swiftly in recognising and empowering women's leadership and ministry in the Church.

"I am convinced that we cannot wait to take steps forward for the empowerment of women in the Church" he said to some 100 synod members on 24 October. He explained that this involves clarifying which roles require ordination and which do not. This was a key focus for the current study group.

Pope Francis concluded with a message of unity. "Let us confidently continue our journey together. Let us take off the cloak of despondency, let us entrust our blindness to the Lord, let us stand up and carry the joy of the Gospel through the streets of the world."

Sources

English Katholisch

English Katholisch

America Magazine

"There was a remarkable willingness to listen and also question our own view of our counterpart," she told the German Catholic news agency KNA Sept 5.

"I found it fruitful, even where it was sometimes confrontational. In my view, it was a good first step and I am open to continuing."

The ZdK gained international prominence when it co-sponsored the synodal way with Germany's bishops in 2019.

The initiative, which brought together bishops and select lay people at five assemblies, ended in 2023 with 150 pages of resolutions calling for women deacons, a re-examination of priestly celibacy, lay preaching at Masses, a bigger lay role in selecting bishops, and a revision of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on homosexuality.

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Previously for a vote to pass, two-thirds of bishops were required to vote in favour of a decision; now, it requires only two-thirds of all members (bishops and laypeople) for a vote to pass.

Convened to navigate changes following a crisis within the Catholic Church, the synodal way witnessed discussions on various topics. These included women deacons, priestly celibacy and greater lay involvement in selecting bishops.

Among the Synodal Way's most controversial proposals was the creation of a synodal committee to ensure that resolutions are enacted in German dioceses to prepare the way for a permanent body called the "synodal council" in 2026.

Conversely, Vatican officials deemed it a structure surpassing the German bishops' authority.

Despite objections, German Church leaders persist in advocating for this council. They assert it has features distinct from those critiqued by the Vatican.

However, disagreements persisted regarding the voting process, particularly concerning the bishops' role and influence within the committee.

Advocates for change cited a need to modify the rules following a resolution addressing the Church's approach to sexual ethics. This issue failed to garner the required two-thirds bishop majority.

Bishops can easily be outvoted

Notably, altering the voting regulations led to varied reactions. Some welcomed the adjustment, foreseeing increased efficiency and progress within the committee.

ZdK (Central Committee of German Catholics) leader Irme Stetter-Karp, who called for a change in the voting procedure after the synodal way ended in March, expressed her satisfaction after the two-thirds of Bishops rule was dropped.

"This committee, which I would like to respectfully call a real team, will be able to achieve a great deal for the future of the Church in Germany."

On the other hand, critics expressed concerns about the potential marginalisation of the bishops' authority. They claim it undermines their influence in decision-making.

Writing for the Catholic weekly newspaper Die Tagespost, the journalist Peter Winnemöller said: "A little basic arithmetic is enough to realise that with a maximum of 20 participating bishops, they can easily be outvoted even if all bishops disagree with a decision."

However, German bishops' conference Bishop Georg Bätzing sees the change as positive, commenting "The synodal committee has gained momentum. I am grateful that we have now entered a new phase" he said on 11 November.

"I am therefore happy to take up a phrase from the synod on synodality: Church on the move — we experienced this in Rome and also now in Essen."

Sources

The Pillar

CathNews New Zealand

Speaking days before the March 9-11 gathering in Frankfurt, the initiative's co-president Irme Stetter-Karp expressed surprise at the German bishops' plan to submit changes to documents that may struggle to gain a two-thirds majority of episcopal votes.

"All delegates, bishops and laity alike, had several weeks to make amendments, and now the deadline has passed," she said in a March 5 report published by Germany's Welt newspaper.

Stetter-Karp, the president of the powerful lay Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), suggested that participants in this week's assembly should decide whether further alterations are permitted before texts are put to the vote.

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The Vatican said Germany's synodal path is a threat to church unity at a universal level. The Holy See stressed that the undertaking lacks the authority to compel bishops to make changes on doctrine and morality.

"In order to protect the freedom of the People of God and the exercise of episcopal ministry, it seems necessary to specify that the ‘Synodal Way' in Germany has no power to oblige the bishops and the faithful to adopt new ways of governing and new approaches to doctrine and morals," the Vatican said in an unsigned July 21 statement.

"It would not be lawful," the Vatican said, "to initiate in dioceses, before an agreement reached at the level of the universal Church, new official structures or doctrines which would represent a wound to ecclesial communion and a threat to the unity of the Church."

In response, the leadership of the synodal path - laywoman Irme Stetter-Karp, President of the Central Committee of German Catholics, and Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg (pictured), President of the German Bishops' Conference - said the Vatican's statement was "a source of astonishment for us".

Regular communication with the Holy See "which we consider necessary and which we are looking for" was provided for in the rules of procedure and statutes of the synodal path, they said. They added that the Vatican's envoy to Germany, Croatian Archbishop Nikola Eterović, is also participating as an observer.

Since it began in 2019, the organising synodal committee "has endeavoured to find direct ways of communication with the Roman bodies," Stetter-Karp and Bätzing said.

"Unfortunately, the synodal committee has not been invited to a discussion to date. We regret with irritation that this direct communication has not yet taken place" they said.

The Vatican's statement, issued without any prior communication with the synodal path's leading committee, "is not a good example of communication within the church" they said, and took issue with the fact that the Vatican's statement was "not signed by name".

The German Church's synodal path is primarily aimed at giving laypeople more prominent roles in church leadership. It was launched to revitalise the Catholic Church in Germany following a report released in 2018 detailing thousands of cases of sexual abuse by priests in Germany spanning six decades.

However, the process has become increasingly controversial due to the calls of prominent participants, laypeople and bishops alike, for women to be ordained priests and for priests to administer blessings to same-sex couples.

The German Catholic leaders pointed out that they welcomed the Holy See's emphasis of "what we have already committed to in the Statutes and Rules of Procedure before the start of the Synodal Path".

"We never tire of underlining that the Church in Germany will not follow a 'special German path'. Nevertheless, we see it as our duty to clearly state where we believe changes are necessary," they said.

Sources

CruxNow

La Croix International