In <strong><a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-gay-rights-ap-interview-1359756ae22f27f87c1d4d6b9c8ce212">an interview</a> </strong>published yesterday, Pope Francis condemned the German Synodal Way as elitist, unhelpful and running the risk of bringing ideological harm to Church processes.
“The German experience does not help,” Pope Francis told Associated Press during the interview, explaining that dialogue should involve “all the people of God”.
The pope said the German process is neither helpful nor serious, and made a clear contrast between it and the universal Synod on Synodality that will culminate with two big meetings at the Vatican this October and next.
In reference to the German Synodal Path, the pope said: “Here the danger is that something very, very ideological trickles in. When ideology gets involved in church processes, the Holy Spirit goes home, because ideology overcomes the Holy Spirit.”
He said that the global synod’s aim was to “help this more elitist (German) path so that it does not end badly in some way, but so is also integrated into the Church”.
The comments were made as part of a wide-ranging interview that also included remarks about the Church’s stance on homosexuality, the loss of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and his health.
Since its launch by Cardinal Reinhard Marx in 2019, the German Synodal Way has been controversial, with many warning<strong> <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/germans-fail-to-muster-lay-support-for-schismatic-synodal-way/">it will lead to a schism</a> </strong>with the Church.
Participants have voted in favour of draft documents calling for the priestly ordination of women, same-sex blessings, and changes to church teaching on homosexual acts, prompting accusations of heresy and fears of schism.
Concerns have been publicly raised by Church leaders from Poland, the Nordic<a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250628/nordic-catholic-bishops-german-synodal-way-fills-us-with-worry"><strong> </strong></a>countries, and around the world.
Fears of a schism from Germany have increased over the past few months, as organisers of the Synodal Way in November refused a moratorium on the process <strong><a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/cardinals-ladaria-and-ouellet-condemn-german-synodal-path-in-vatican-report/">suggested</a></strong> by the Vatican.
Just two days before the interview was published, it was reported that Pope Francis had written to Bishop Georg Bätzing to say that the German Synodal Path may not continue any longer.
Participants of the German Synodal Way in September 2022 voted to create such a controlling body that would permanently oversee the Church in Germany.
The <strong><a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/vatican-issues-final-stop-sign-on-german-synodal-path/">Vatican stated</a> </strong>in a <a href="https://www.dbk.de/fileadmin/redaktion/diverse_downloads/presse_2023/2023-009a-Brief-Kardinalstaatsekretaer-Praefekten-der-Dikasterien-fuer-die_Glaubenslehre-und-fuer-die-Bischoefe.pdf"><strong>letter</strong></a> published January 23 that the Germans are not authorised to install a permanent synodal council to oversee the Church in Germany. The letter was formally approved by Pope Francis.
Despite all these interventions, the Synodal Way is still expected to go ahead with its fifth and final plenary assembly scheduled for March 9-11 in Frankfurt.
(<em>Photograph credit: CNA</em>)
