German Synodal Way

The Latest

Bishop Franz-Josef Bode of the Diocese of Osnabrück served as vice president of the German bishops' conference from 2017 to 2023.

Pope Francis accepts resignation of vice president of German bishops’ conference 

Mar 25, 2023

By AC Wimmer

Bishop Franz-Josef Bode had previously refused to step down despite an abuse report finding he had mishandled cases in his... Read more

German Cardinal Gerhard Müller (left) and American Cardinal Raymond Burke.

Cardinals Müller, Burke rebuke German bishops over same-sex union blessings

Mar 17, 2023

By Tyler Arnold

German Cardinal Gerhard Müller and American Cardinal Raymond Burke rebuked the German bishops for approving Church blessings of same-sex unions. Read more

Delegates at the fifth assembly of the German Synodal Way, meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 11, 2023, applaud after the he passage of a text calling for changes to the German Church's approach to gender identity.

German bishops announce plans to bless same-sex unions, allow laypeople to baptize and preach at Mass

Mar 17, 2023

By AC Wimmer

Following the conclusion of the German Synodal Way, several bishops have announced plans to put into practice resolutions passed by... Read more

Delegates at the fifth assembly of the German Synodal Way, meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 11, 2023, applaud after the he passage of a text calling for changes to the German Church's approach to gender identity.

Women’s ordination, transgender ideology move forward at German Synodal Way

Mar 11, 2023

By Jonathan Liedl

Delegates also elected members for a commission tasked with establishing a permanent, national Synodal Council. Read more

Delegates at the fifth assembly of the German Synodal Way, meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 10, 2023, applaud after the he passage of a measure to establish official blessings for same-sex sexual relations. The motion passed with only 14 of 202 delegates opposing.

German Synodal Way approves same-sex blessings, lay preaching, and reexamination of priestly celibacy

Mar 10, 2023

By Jonathan Liedl

Delegates also voted to delay addressing perhaps the most controversial topic: establishing synodal councils at the parish and diocesan level. Read more

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

Despite ‘no’ from Vatican, German bishops moves 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