Speaking to Sonntag, the Viennese pastoral theologian said the Church must adapt to remain relevant and inclusive.

Zulehner envisions a Church that encourages active participation by all baptised members and empowers them to embrace their vocations.

"Experienced people from faithful communities of the Gospel can be proposed to a bishop to be ordained priests so that the main source of the Church, the celebration of the Eucharist, does not fall by the wayside" suggested Zulehner.

This new form of the Church "is already appearing before our eyes" the 84-year-old theologian said.

Comfortable but unsustainable Church

Professor Zulehner criticised "expectation clericalism", a long-standing reliance on ordained ministers and full-time Church staff to handle all responsibilities. This model, he said, has created a "comfortable but unsustainable" Church.

According to Zulehner, we should pray not only for "priestly vocations" but for "vocations to the Church", asking people whether they feel called to participate in various projects of the church communities.

He proposed returning to a biblical ideal of shared leadership, likening the future Church to "orchestrated choral singing" rather than a "priestly solo".

Encouraging parishes to broaden their focus, he urged prayers for all vocations, particularly in areas like peace-building, environmental care and service to the poor.

"Let's encourage young people to check whether God needs them." He believes that they join in when they are challenged and given responsibility.

The renowned theologian is firmly convinced that God is not a cynic, but that "He gives us just as many of those vocations that we need now and today as a church in our reeling world. We should be like pastoral truffle pigs who find these wonderfully fragrant mushrooms - they exist".

Sources

English Katholisch

Polonia Christiana

CathNews New Zealand

In a recent interview with Croatian radio station HRT, Zulehner shared insights on the ongoing Synodal Path and Rome's approach to church reforms.

Professor Zulehner claims Rome's approach stems from its desire to showcase synodality, establish new structures and adapt church law before reforms can be implemented elsewhere.

The Synodal Path in Germany faced challenges due to its early start and Rome's shortage of theological experts.

"Rome doesn't like to take the second step. They say ‘We are taking the first step'" Zulehner explained.

Good model for democracies

The theologian wants to see more theology at the next Synod on Synodality.

"We need to do more theology and recognise what we hear: Is the Holy Spirit speaking to us? And then we need to find a good way to make the final decisions" Zulehner stated.

In this context, Zulehner picked up on thoughts from Synod on Synodality advisor and Linz theologian Klara Csiszar. Csiszar emphasised that church synodality "can also be a good model for democracies".

Otherwise the church would ask itself what it could learn from democracy about participation.

"This is a very good task for the future, the task of the church in today's world" Zulehner said.

Zulehner, speaking from a conference in Zagreb, Croatia, organised by the Pastoral Forum and the PosT network, reiterated the importance of theology in guiding the church's future. Both organisations, founded by Zulehner, focus on supporting and researching churches in Central and Eastern Europe.

The Pastoral Forum, established 35 years ago, aids young theologians in developing pastoral theology through scholarships. The PosT network, a 20-year-old initiative, connects pastoral theologians across Central and Eastern Europe, fostering collaboration and research in the region.

Sources

Katholisch

CathNews New Zealand

Zulehner views the Pope's reply to four critics of the German reform efforts as a "gesture of respect and courtesy".

Prof Zulehner noted this in a November 22 post on his private blog.

Recently a letter from Pope Francis was made public.

The letter was addressed to theologians Katharina Westerhorstmann and Marianne Schlosser, journalist Dorothea Schmidt and religious philosopher Hanna-Barbara Gerl-Falkovitz.

In the letter, the Pope criticised the German path to reform.

He shares the four women's "concern about the numerous concrete steps now taken by large parts of this local church that threaten to move further and further away from the common path of the universal church.

"The four resigned their mandate because, among other things, they are convinced that a consultative and decision-making body, as it is currently being planned, can't be reconciled with the sacramental structure of the Catholic Church" Zulehner wrote in his blog.

Changes do not begin unanimously in Rome

Reflecting on the pope's response, Zulehner perceives it as an attempt by Francis to reassure those who persistently challenge the World Synod, considering it heretical.

"From his experiences with Amoris laetitia, however, he knows that traditional concern will not stop the due developments," wrote Zulehner.

The theologian also points out that developments in an organisation like the Catholic Church do not begin with all of them being decided unanimously in Rome.

"The grandiose liturgical reform that the Second Vatican Council had initiated exactly 60 years ago was practised by the dissident Pius Parsch much earlier.

"The then Archbishop of Freiburg attacked Parsch for heresy. This is obviously part of the fate of the courageous pioneers.

"It is to be expected and also useful for the committee's organisation that there will be resistance from those concerned about tradition.

"But that is also a sign that development is beginning at some point in the universal church, which will probably gradually also affect the universal church" said the theologian.

Sources

Katholisch

PM Zulehner (Blog.)

CathNews New Zealand

CathNews New Zealand