German Synodal Way

The Latest

Bishop Georg Bätzing at the closing press conference of the spring plenary meeting of the German bishops’ conference.

Despite ‘no’ from Vatican, German bishops move forward with plans for Synodal Council

Mar 1, 2023

By AC Wimmer

A letter by the president of the German Bishops’ Conference published Wednesday confirms that plans for a German synodal council... Read more

From left: Katharina Westerhorstmann, Dorothea Schmidt, Marianne Schlosser, and Hanna-Barbara Gerl-Falkovitz.

Four women opt out of German Synodal Way, saying it ‘departs from the universal Church’

Feb 22, 2023

By AC Wimmer

Ahead of the German Synodal Way’s final meeting next month, four prominent participants officially announced Wednesday they were quitting the... Read more

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, archbishop of Luxembourg (left) and Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops

‘We need time,’ Synod on Synodality organizers tell German-language media

Feb 14, 2023

By AC Wimmer

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg and Maltese Cardinal Mario Grech made their remarks in the wake of the recent European... Read more

Archbishop Emeritus Charles Chaput of Philadelphia.

Archbishop Chaput: Only worthy agenda for synod is one given to us by Jesus in the Gospels

Feb 10, 2023

By Kelsey Wicks

ACI Prensa recently interviewed Archbishop Charles J. Chaput about the controversies and confusion that have arisen around the Synodal Path. Read more

Irme Stetter-Karp, president of the Central Committee of German Catholics.

Germany’s Synodal Way leaders push women’s ordination during European bishops’ synodal assembly

Feb 8, 2023

By Courtney Mares

Irme Stetter-Karp, the president of the lay Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), addressed delegates in the meeting in Prague... Read more

Bishop Georg Bätzing, chairman of the German bishops’ conference, meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican, June 24, 2021.

German bishops’ president rebukes Pope Francis for criticism of Synodal Way 

Jan 30, 2023

By AC Wimmer

Bishop Georg Bätzing says the Germans have “fundamentally different views of synodality” than Rome.  Read more

Cardinal Reinhard Marx and fellow bishops from Germany meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, Nov. 17, 2022

Pope Francis decries German Synodal Way as ‘neither helpful nor serious’

Jan 25, 2023

By AC Wimmer

In an interview published Wednesday, Pope Francis decried the German Synodal Way as elitist and running the risk of bringing... Read more

Bishop Georg Bätzing, president of the German bishops’ conference in St. Peter’s Square, June 27, 2020.

German bishop dismisses Vatican concerns over a permanent synodal council

Jan 23, 2023

By AC Wimmer

On Monday, Bishop Georg Bätzing said he welcomed a new letter from the Vatican detailing concerns about the push for... Read more

Thomas Sternberg speaking at a press conference for the German "Synodal Way" on Sept. 30, 2021, in Frankfurt.

German Synodal Way designed to create ‘pressure’ on the Church, founding president says

Dec 2, 2022

By AC Wimmer

Thomas Sternberg, former president of the Central Committee of German Catholics, said the process wanted to achieve changes to Church... Read more

The Risen Christ

German Synodal Way: The devil will not defeat the Resurrection, Spanish cardinal says

Nov 30, 2022

By CNA Staff

Spanish Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela criticized the controversial Synodal Way of the German Catholic Church in a university course... Read more

German Bishops at Mass in the Papal Basilica of St. Paul outside the Walls during their visit in Rome, Nov. 17, 2022

As Church allows for LGBT-employees in Germany, Vatican publishes concerns over Synodal Way

Nov 25, 2022

By AC Wimmer

The Vatican on Thursday published the full wording of its latest warnings over another schisma coming out of Germany, raising... Read more

Facing the German bishops in Rome, Nov. 18, 2022: Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer, SJ, prefect of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith; Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state; and Cardinal Marc Ouellet, PSS, prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops (from left).

Did the Vatican ‘snub’ German bishops over Synodal Way?

Nov 21, 2022

By AC Wimmer

Bishop Georg Bätzing said supporters of the Synodal Way wanted to remain Catholic, “but we want to be Catholic in... Read more

Cardinal Reinhard Marx and fellow bishops from Germany meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, Nov. 17, 2022

German bishops meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican amid concern over Synodal Way

Nov 17, 2022

By AC Wimmer

The audience with Pope Francis lasted about two hours, the German Bishops’ Conference said in a statement published after the... Read more

The visit of the German bishops to Rome in November 2022 began with a Holy Mass in the grottoes of St. Peter's Basilica.

‘Truly not an easy task’: German bishops begin talks in Rome amid Synodal Way concerns

Nov 14, 2022

By AC Wimmer

Bishop Georg Bätzing said the German bishops would “openly and honestly address” the topics of the process during their ad... Read more

Bishop Georg Bätzing (left) and Cardinal Kurt Koch

Public spat between German bishop, Swiss cardinal leads to private meeting in Rome

Oct 5, 2022

By AC Wimmer

Following demands for an apology and a threat he would “file an official complaint with the Holy Father,” the German... Read more

Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, in Rome on Oct. 23, 2019. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA.

Vatican cardinal says he did not compare German Synodal Way to Nazi ideology

Sep 29, 2022

By AC Wimmer

A Vatican cardinal has defended himself against the accusation by the president of the German bishops’ conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing,... Read more

Bishop Georg Bätzing

Religion is ‘interruption,’ not continuity, German bishops’ president says

Sep 27, 2022

By AC Wimmer

Bishop Georg Bätzing spoke in a live-streamed Mass on Tuesday on the occasion of the bishops’ plenary assembly in Dulda,... Read more

Bishop Georg Bätzing, Irme Stetter-Karp, Bischop Franz-Josef Bode at the “Synodal Way” meeting on Sept. 9 2022 in Frankfurt, Germany.

Turbulent scenes and votes for homosexuality, women’s ordination at German Synodal Way

Sep 12, 2022

By AC Wimmer

The three-day event was overshadowed by turbulent scenes and early departures over the handling of contentious issues. Read more

The cross of the German “Synodal Way”

Synodal Way votes to establish permanent Synodal Council to oversee Church and dioceses in Germany

Sep 10, 2022

By AC Wimmer

In a move aimed at achieving what critics have compared to communist councils in the Soviet Union, participants of the... Read more

Bishop Georg Bätzing watches ZdK president Irme Stetter-Karp speak at the Synodal Way assembly in Frankfurt, Germany, Sept 8. 2022

After sex document at German Synodal Way is blocked, organizers vow to ‘take it to’ Rome

Sep 9, 2022

By AC Wimmer

The document pushed for changes to the Church’s teaching on homosexuality, bisexuality, gender identity, and masturbation. Read more