In his fascinating interview with Karl Gustel Wärnberg in this issue, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, former Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has identified important fault lines within the Church in Germany. In particular, he has expressed his concern about the direction of what is called the Synodal Way. His concerns are not just relevant to Germany but to other national Churches which have begun to participate in the global Synod initiated by Pope Francis.
The interview is compelling because the German Church reflects the problems of liberal European churches which have assimilated to secular society to the point where it can at times seem simply to reflect that society’s norms. Of course, the Church must read the signs of the times, yet Christ also called on his followers to be the salt of the earth. In other words, the Catholic Church cannot simply mimic the assumptions of secular society: sometimes it has to be prepared to challenge them. German states gave us the Reformation; we should be concerned if something like a Church within a Church is emerging there now.
