German Bishops’ President Rebukes Pope Francis for Criticizing Synodal Way | National Catholic Register

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Bishop Btzing was referring to Pope Francis’ comments on the Synodal Way, among other topics, in an extensive interview last week with The Associated Press.

Bishop Georg Btzing has criticized Pope Francis and dismissed the pope’s recent remarks that the controversial German synodal path is unnecessary, damaging and ideologically poisoned, saying Germans have a fundamentally different view of synodality than Rome.

In an interview published Jan. 27, the president of the German Bishops’ Conference said he considers the way popes lead the Church through interviews to be extremely questionable, CNA Deutsch, a partner of CNA Deutsch, reported. CNA’s German language press. Bishop Btzing was referring to Pope Francis’ comments on the Synodal Way, among other topics, in an extensive interview last week with The Associated Press.

Bishop Btzing of Limburg, noted that the German bishops had their ad limina visit with Pope Francis in November.

Why didn’t the pope tell us about it when we were with him in November? asked Bishop Btzing. There would have been the opportunity, but he did not take the opportunity to discuss at that time.

Earlier, Bishop Btzings, co-chairman of the German Synodal Way, accused the Vatican of snubbing German Catholics by raising fundamental criticism of the contentious process and resolutions at the November meetings.

In the interview published on Friday, Bishop Btzing said that Pope Francis understands synodality to mean a broad gathering of impulses from all corners of the church, then the bishops discuss it more concretely, and at the end there is a man at the top who makes the decision.

This was not the kind of synodality that is viable in the 21st century, Bishop Btzing added.

Pope Francis and other Church leaders have expressed serious concerns about plans to create a permanent synodal council for the German Church. Such a body would function as an advisory and decision-making body on essential developments in the Church and society, according to a proposal for a synodal way.

More importantly, he would make fundamental decisions of supra-diocesan significance on pastoral planning, matters for the future, and budgetary matters of the Church that are not decided at the diocesan level.

In response to warnings from Rome about such a move, Bishop Btzing suggested he would pursue a fallback option.

In Germany, we are looking for a way to truly deliberate and decide together without overriding canonical rules that affect the authority of the bishop, the German Prelate said.

In Germany we have already had the so-called joint conference since the 1970s, in which the Bishops’ Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) consult each other, that is, the laity and the bishops, a he continued. This Joint Conference has been given certain tasks. So the fallback option is this: we stay with that model and just add important tasks that are achievable under Church law.

As for the objections raised at the Vatican meetings and confirmed in the January letter endorsed by Pope Francis, Bishop Btzing reiterated his public rejection of these concerns and vowed that the Synodal Way would continue to pursue its controversial agenda in the face of them. .

This is not catholic

Confirming the Vatican’s warnings, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, stated unequivocally that German pressure for a synodal council was unacceptable, CNA Deutsch reported.

If this is how the Church in Germany is to be governed in the future, he said, I have already made it very clear to the bishops [during the ad limina visit in November]: It’s not Catholic.

Speaking to Spanish magazine Omnes, Cardinal Ouellet said a synodal council may be the practice of other Churches, but it is not ours.

Such a German council would not correspond to Catholic ecclesiology and the unique role of bishops, which derives from the charism of consecration and which implies that they must have the freedom to teach and to decide.

Regarding attempts to get the German bishops to voluntarily relinquish their authority to a new council or other oversight body, Cardinal Ouellet said: The truth is that it is not possible; it would be a renunciation of the episcopal office.

On January 30, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had accepted the resignation of Cardinal Ouellet at the age of 78, more than three years past the usual retirement age for bishops. He will be replaced by Bishop Robert Francis Prevost, 67, as of April 12.

It remains to be seen how Bishop Prevost will manage the German controversy. The American prelate has served as bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru since 2015. As prefect, he will lead the Vatican office responsible for evaluating new members of the hierarchy of the Catholic Churches.

The Edge of Schism

Cardinal Walter Kasper also warned the German bishops that they could not circumvent the authority of the pope and ultimately the Second Vatican Council or be undermined by delicate reinterpretation.

A bishop cannot subsequently renounce, in whole or in part, the authority conferred sacramentally in the succession of the apostles by binding himself to a synodal council without violating the responsibility conferred on him personally, Cardinal Kasper pointed out, according to CNA Deutsch.

Roman resistance to the letter, or underhanded attempts to reinterpret and avoid it, despite all well-meaning protests, inevitably leads to the brink of schism and thus plunges the people of God in Germany into an even deeper crisis.

According to Cardinal Ouellet, it was now important for the Holy See to continue the dialogue with the German bishops.

We will see how the dialogue will continue, the Cardinal said, adding that it was now Bishop Btzing’s obligation to respond to the letter approved by Pope Francis.

Then we will see how to continue the dialogue, because it is obvious that it must be continued, also to help them to remain in the Catholic channel, underlined Cardinal Ouellet.

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