Opening the assembly, conference president Bishop Georg Bätzing called on all bishops to embrace radical change.

Visible changes are needed soon in the German Catholic church reform project, he said. These could become a "door opener" for the pope's worldwide synodal process which begins next month.

At the start of the Sept. 20-23 assembly, Catholic reform groups and women's associations held demonstrations demanding rapid and fundamental reforms. This is the only way for the church to restore its credibility, they warned.

Bätzing called on his fellow bishops to agree radical changes are needed in the way they work and in their understanding of their ministry.

In his sermon at the opening service, he criticized the preparations some bishops made for the Sept. 30-Oct. 2 Synodal Assembly.

That Assembly contributes to the Synodal Path, which is attempting to revitalize the church and restore trust following the church investigation and exposure of six decades and thousands of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy.

Bätzing said for the upcoming controversial reform debates, "the spirit and courage for a turnaround" were needed.

He reportedly went on to say said that without a genuine turnaround, the bishops would fail to do justice to the impact of the abuse scandal and the drama of Germany's increasing secularization.

For many people in a liberal society, the bishops' behavior so far was a reason to reject the church's offer of redemption "as presumptuous and encroaching and obsolete in view of the abuse."

Bätzing also told the bishops they bear considerable responsibility that the message of the Gospel they proclaim is no longer understood.

Also at the plenary assembly is Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, the pope's ambassador to Germany.

He repeatedly urged the bishops to preserve church unity and to follow the pope's directives.

While Bätzing called for speedy reform, Eterovic stepped on the brakes.

He recalled the pope saying it was not bad will that drove many German bishops, but "a pastoral desire" that did not take into account some necessary papal directives.

A church community that tries to solve its problems on its own, relying only on its own strengths, its own methods and its own intelligence, could end up worsening the situation, he warned.

This does not mean "not moving forward, not changing anything and maybe not even debating and disagreeing," so long as German Catholics remain "firmly united in the unity of the Catholic Church" without compromising "the truths of Christian doctrine."

Eterovic's remarks reportedly allude to the Synodal Path, in which bishops and laypeople are debating controversial issues such as Catholic sexual morality or the role of women in the church.

Bätzing said despite there being significant differences between some bishops views on reform, the reform dialogue must quickly deliver visible change. This way the church in Germany could contribute its experience to the forthcoming worldwide synodal process.

Source

• National Catholic Reporter
• Image: National Catholic Reporter

Nicola Brady is currently General Secretary of the Irish Council of Churches, and Joint Secretary of the Irish Inter-Church Meeting. She has been noted for facilitating relationship-building between the Christian churches in Ireland.

Dr Brady has previously worked in several peace-building roles, both nationally and internationally.

Following her appointment Brady said, "The Synodal Pathway is an important and hope-filled development in the life of the Catholic Church in Ireland and I am grateful for the opportunity to help guide and shape this work."

A statement from the Catholic Communications Office said Brady "has particular expertise in the area of faith-based peace-building on the island of Ireland and internationally, including human rights advocacy, support to victims/survivors, facilitation of civic dialogue, community engagement with policing, and research across a broad range of issues relevant to reconciliation."

Brady holds a BA in European Studies from Trinity College Dublin. Her PhD, also from Trinity, examined the response of the Catholic hierarchy to political violence in Northern Ireland (1921-1973) and to the Basque Country (1936-1975).

The Bishops met virtually for their summer 2021 plenary meeting. They announced on June 16 that Brady will head up a new synodal steering group to make preparations.

In their statement, Irish bishops said their work on the synodal pathway has been "assisted and greatly encouraged by Cardinal Mario Grech and Sister Natalie Becquart of the general secretariat for the Synod of Bishops in Rome."

The bishops also announced they had received more than 550 public submissions as part of the initial phase of the synodal pathway.

Sources

Crux

Association of Catholic Priests

Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference