In an interview with Vatican News on Saturday, Söding stressed the importance of unity. "For us, deliberation and decision-making belong together. For us, commonality in decision-making is also part of this."

Söding's remarks come as the Synod on Synodality in Rome continues. It is highlighting the Church's focus on greater participation in decision-making processes.

Söding, Vice President of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), explained that the Church's decision-making structure is evolving to reflect a more collaborative approach.

"Participation, joint consultation, joint decision-making 'in Catholic style' - that is the tradition that we now want to continue" said the theology professor.

He noted that this aligns with efforts in Germany's Synodal Way, where deliberation and decision-making are closely intertwined. While acknowledging the distinct roles of bishops, priests and the laity, Söding underscored the need for commonality in reaching decisions.

The Catholic Church wants to stay together. "But we also need greater sovereignty to play on the respective local contexts so that unity and diversity can be brought into a good balance in a completely new way" Söding stressed.

Localised regulations warning

Söding went on to warn against creating a fragmented Church through localised regulations. "The Vatican should not use the synod to develop as many individual regulations as possible for as many individual countries as possible" he stated.

Pope Francis' decision to invite bishops, other men and women to the Synod of Bishops changed the atmosphere, said Söding. "New voices are being heard. People talk to each other differently, even when speaking as bishops."

Söding described the fact that people from the southern hemisphere also have their say at the Synod on Synodality as "a great asset for the Catholic Church, also in Europe".

The ongoing Synod discussions in Rome are focused on "Ways", part of the Instrumentum laboris document. It looks at the future organisation of decision-making in the Church.

Söding concluded by stating that Germany and Europe, more broadly, support these developments in the global Church.

Sources

English Katholisch

National Catholic Reporter

CathNews New Zealand

"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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In a letter to the German Bishops' Conference president dated March 29, Cardinal Arthur Roche (pictured) said neither was possible — despite at least one German diocese already announcing both practices.

The written intervention by the Vatican's prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments was addressed to Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, reported CNA Deutsch who has obtained a copy of the document.

The seven-page letter Bishop Georg Bätzing also reminded the German bishops that liturgical translations must be confirmed and approved by the Vatican.

On the issue of homilies, Roche wrote that the reason why laypeople cannot regularly preach at Mass is not due to their need for "better theological preparation or better communication skills."

He stressed that this did not mean there were inequalities among baptised Catholics, but rather "that there are discernments made by the Spirit, which produces different charisms that are different and complementary."

Cardinal rejects laypeople conducting baptisms

The cardinal also rejected the introduction of laypeople regularly administering baptisms, something already in practice in some German dioceses.

He wrote that justifying this, for example using a lack of priests, for example, was not possible under canon law.

Laypeople could validly perform baptisms only in exceptional circumstances, such as in danger of death or "in painful situations of persecution, but also in mission areas and in other cases of special need," the cardinal explained.

He said that such conditions "do not seem to exist in any diocese in the area of the German bishops' conference, based on the data from the papal yearbook on the clergy available."

Responding to Roche's communication, a spokesperson for the German Bishops' Conference on Thursday said the bishops would continue to seek dialogue with Rome on these issues.

A spokeswoman for the powerful lay Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) told katholisch.de that the Vatican letter was a welcome sign of Rome's interest in the consequences of the synodal way in Germany.

"Talks in Rome are overdue and are in the heartfelt interest of Catholic civil society in this country," said Britta Baas.

She added: "In just a few years, no one will be able to seriously oppose lay sermons and baptisms by lay people if the Church still wants to have meaning for the local people. We already have a glaring shortage of priests."

Sources

Catholic News Agency

The Pillar

CathNews New Zealand

Fourteen papers will be put to a vote at the synodal way's fourth plenary assembly next week. One, "Sustainable strengthening of Synodality: A Synodal Council for the Catholic Church in Germany," will have its second reading at that time.

If the document passes its second reading, it will be formally adopted as a synodal way resolution.

The synodal way is a multi-year process where German bishops and lay people collectively discuss four topics: power; the priesthood; women in the Church; sexual morality.

In July the Vatican intervened in the discussions. It clarified that the synodal way has no power "to compel the bishops and the faithful to adopt new ways of governance and new approaches to doctrine and morals".

Commentators think the Vatican Secretariat of State's intervention was prompted by the synodal way's "synodal council" proposal.

Others think it was triggered by broader concerns that German dioceses would implement synodal way decisions before next year's synod on synodality in Rome.

Some German bishops have signed a document known as the Frankfurt Declaration. This promises to enact Germany's synodal way resolutions in their "dioceses and parishes, in schools and charitable institutions".

The push for a synodal council has generated a backlash in Germany. Cardinal Walter Kasper (pictured) is leading the criticism.

"Synods cannot be made institutionally permanent," he says.

"The tradition of the Church does not know a synodal church government. A synodical supreme council, such as is now taken into the prospect, has no support in all constitutional history. It would not be a renewal but an outrageous innovation."

Last year's first reading of the synodal council's draft text was endorsed by 138 votes in favour, 32 against and 9 abstentions (with a total of 212 delegates present). It was then passed to a working group for further consideration.

The revised text to be voted on next month calls for the creation of a "synodal committee". It would comprise 27 diocesan bishops and 27 members elected by the lay Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), with 10 members elected by both the bishops and the ZdK.

The committee would help create the synodal council, while making "fundamental decisions" on budgetary issues at a national level.

The synodal council's decisions would have "at least the same legal effect as the resolutions of the synodal assembly," says the revised text.

The proposed council would meet in public with two chairs drawn from the German bishops' conference and ZdK. It would also have a permanent secretariat and be "adequately staffed and financed".

At next month's meeting, five synodal way texts will face their first vote. Nine will be voted on for a second time, including papers on the "Magisterial reassessment of homosexuality," "Women in ministries and offices in the Church," and ending mandatory priestly celibacy.

Source

• The Pillar

Rather than meet as a single group in Frankfurt, the 230 delegates met in smaller groups due to the coronavirus pandemic.

About 40 people took part in the discussions in Berlin.

The Synodal Path (or journey) was first planned in 2019 as a response to the scandal of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.

Launched in January this year, the initiative is jointly organized by the German Bishops' Conference (DBK) and representatives of the laity, the ZDK.

Expectations at last Friday's meetings were high, especially on the part of the laity.

The discussions focused on two of the four themes of the Synodal Path — "the place of women in the services and functions of the Church" and "love within sexuality".

Participants were asked to react to proposals, such as:

Why not allow qualified lay people to deliver the homily during Mass and to provide baptisms and blessings for the sick?

Why not increase the already existing quotas for women in leadership positions in dioceses and general vicariates from 30 percent to 50 percent?

"I understand the request, but some of these proposals do not depend on us but on the universal Church," Bishop Ulrich Neymeyr said at the Berlin meeting.

Maria Flachsbarth, a Christian Democrat and member of parliament, said: "This kind of debate does not exist in any other part of our society. If we want the Catholic Church to remain relevant, we must finally act."

The issue of sexuality - within a committed partnership, casual sexual activity, before marriage or between people of the same sex - was also debated.

"The Church has been silent for too long on these subjects," theologian Eberhard Tiefensee said.

"It should recognize that it has no business in people's bedrooms."

Franziska Kleiner of the German Catholic Youth Organization has the opposite view to Tiefensee. She wants more guidelines from the Church, especially for "young people who change partners" on a regular basis.

At the end of the discussions, Reinhard Hauket, who is the auxiliary bishop of Erfurt, commented on the divergence of opinion.

"On some points, shared positions will be possible, but on others I fear that some participants will be disappointed at the end of the process."

The Synodal Path's working groups have until February to formulate amended texts for participants to vote on.

The final objective is to present concrete proposals to the Bishops' Conference and to Rome in 2022.

Source

• La Croix
• Image: Crux Now

The bishops' conference launched a two-year "synodal procedure" for church reform last weekend, on the first Sunday of Advent.

Working together with the lay Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), special synodal candles were lit before Mass in all 27 German cathedrals and the four co-cathedrals.

Conference president Cardinal Reinhard Marx and ZdK vice-president of the ZdK, Karin Kortmann, lit the synodal candle together in Munich Cathedral during Mass.

Marx's homily stressed the importance of listening to one another and reaching consensus, despite differences of opinion.

"After the ghastly experience of discovering that clerical sexual abuse occurred in the Church, it is now crucial to examine systemic dangers like bad governance".

"In order once again to become credible witnesses of joy and hope, we will have to remove certain obstacles."

In a video message after Mass, Marx and ZdK president Thomas Sternberg said: "Credibility is an absolute must and we want to regain it through self-critical discussion."

The next two years will see the synodal procedure focusing on resolving two specific systemic problems in particular.

These problems have resulted in the Church fostering abuse and standing in the way of credibly proclaiming the Gospel message.

In a combined letter to the German Faithful weekend, Cardinal Marx and Sternberg said it was time to admit "self-critically" that the Gospel message had been "obscured and even terribly damaged", particularly by the clerical sexual abuse of minors.

"We must take the consequences and make sure the Church is a safe place," they said.

Four days before the synodal procedure was officially launched, a group of diocesan press spokesmen from 12 dioceses called on the media's critical cooperation.

"Particularly as far as scandals, crises and conflicts are concerned, the only thing that helps is as much transparency as possible.

"We would be grateful if the media were to accompany this crucial debate on the future of the Catholic Church in Germany," they said.

Several bishops have spoken out about their hopes and fears regarding the procedure in sermons and interviews.

Among these was Cardinal Walter Kasper, emeritus President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity.

He said he hoped the participants in the four synodal procedure forums on "power and checks and balances", "sexual morality", "the priestly lifestyle" and "women's place in the Church" would "earnestly listen to one another and not just exchange maximum demands, otherwise the whole project will go wrong".

He himself was still "somewhat sceptical", he said.

In Bishop Heiner Wilmer's opinion, the discussions won't be easy and the German Church will be a different Church afterwards.

"It will certainly be more participatory and more feminine," he said.

Source

• The Tablet
• Image: Catholic World Report