The future of the German synodal conference hangs in the balance, with debate emerging on when the Vatican will approve the statutes for the body it has long opposed.
On March 31, Bishop Heiner Wilmer submitted the statutes of the German bishops’ proposed “Synodal Conference” to the Holy See. They had been approved by a vote of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) some weeks prior, with Wilmer now leading the DBK as chairman and thus serving as champion of its cause in Rome.
The future of the Synodal Conference will determine the trajectory of much of Leo XIV’s pontificate since it will reveal to both friends and enemies what force he is prepared to enact. Should the Conference be approved in the manner the DBK desires, then the Vatican risks surrendering its authority and granting the German episcopate free reign to do as they please in the future. Furthermore, it will demonstrate to others that persistence will eventually yield rewards, regardless of Vatican opposition.
