{"id":13788,"date":"2020-09-03T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-03T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/german-catholic-bishop-criticizes-synodal-way-draft-text-on-role-of-women\/"},"modified":"2020-09-03T05:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T09:00:00","slug":"german-catholic-bishop-criticizes-synodal-way-draft-text-on-role-of-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/german-catholic-bishop-criticizes-synodal-way-draft-text-on-role-of-women\/","title":{"rendered":"German Catholic bishop criticizes \u2018Synodal Way\u2019 draft text on role of women"},"content":{"rendered":"

CNA Staff, Sep 3, 2020 \/ 05:00 am (CNA<\/a>).- A Catholic bishop has sharply criticized a text produced by the German Church\u2019s \u201cSynodal Way\u201d forum on the role of women.
In an open letter<\/a> published Sept. 2, Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer said that a draft text prepared by the forum on \u201cWomen and Offices,\u201d also known as Forum III, \u201clacks any theological level.\u201d
The bishop of Regensburg was referring to a document produced by a working group on the \u201cParticipation of women in leadership under the current conditions of canon law.\u201d
Voderholzer, a professor of dogmatics, expressed concern about the document\u2019s presentation of the establishment of the sacraments, reported<\/a> CNA Deutsch, CNA\u2019s German-language news partner.
\u201cThe fact that the sacraments of the time pertain to the post-Paschal Church is obscured. That there is, however, in theology a very differentiated reflection on the question of the institution of the sacraments is ignored,\u201d the bishop said.
The \u201cSynodal Way\u201d is a controversial process bringing together German lay people and bishops to discuss four major topics: the way power is exercised in the Church; sexual morality; the priesthood; and the role of women.
The first synodal assembly took place in Frankfurt at the end of January. Regional meetings are due to take place Sept. 4, following a break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Voderholzer argued that the drafting of the text represented a breach of \u201cthe agreed procedure.\u201d
In the letter addressed to his brother bishops and synod organizers, he highlighted a section discussing the biblical foundation of women and ministries.
\u201cAs a member of Forum III, I had no opportunity to comment on this part of the text after the changes had been incorporated by the editorial group for \u2018time reasons.\u2019 I protest against this procedure,\u201d he wrote.
He asked whether the text \u201cattempts to use a one-sidedly falsified Bible theology to steer the participants in the regional conferences in a certain direction.\u201d
\u201cI have to admit that such behavior would make me very disappointed and at a loss,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat spirit would be behind it? Don\u2019t we all want to be \u2018co-workers of the truth\u2019 (3 John 1:8), especially in the deliberations of the Synodal Way?"
When the German bishops launched the process, they initially said that the deliberations would be \u201cbinding\u201d on the German Church, prompting a Vatican intervention<\/a>.
In June 2019, Pope Francis sent a 28-page letter<\/a> to German Catholics urging them to focus on evangelization in the face of a \u201cgrowing erosion and deterioration of faith.\u201d
Despite this, none of the Synodal Way forums focuses on the new evangelization.
Bishop Georg B\u00e4tzing, the new president of the German bishops\u2019 conference, discussed the \u201cSynodal Way\u201d at a private audience with Pope Francis<\/a> June 27.
He said: \u201cI feel strengthened by the intensive exchange with the Holy Father to continue on the path we have taken. The pope appreciates this project, which he associates closely with the concept of \u2018synodality\u2019 which he coined.\u201d
The audience took place the day after the German Church released figures showing that it lost a record number of members<\/a> in 2019.
Despite the exodus, the Church in Germany received more money in church tax<\/a> than ever before last year.
In his letter to the German Church, the pope wrote: \u201cEvery time an ecclesial community has tried to get out of its problems alone, relying solely on its own strengths, methods and intelligence, it has ended up multiplying and nurturing the evils it wanted to overcome.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CNA Staff, Sep 3, 2020 \/ 05:00 am (CNA).- A Catholic bishop has sharply criticized a text produced by the German Church\u2019s \u201cSynodal Way\u201d forum on the role of women.
\nIn an open letter published Sept. 2, Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer said that a draft text prepared by the forum on \u201cWomen and Offices,\u201d also known as Forum III, \u201clacks any theological level.\u201d
\nThe bishop of Regensburg was referring to a document produced by a working group on the \u201cParticipation of women in leadership under the current conditions of canon law.\u201d
\nVoderholzer, a professor of dogmatics, expressed concern about the document\u2019s presentation of the establishment of the sacraments, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA\u2019s German-language news partner.
\n\u201cThe fact that the sacraments of the time pertain to the post-Paschal Church is obscured. That there is, however, in theology a very differentiated reflection on the question of the institution of the sacraments is ignored,\u201d the bishop said.
\nThe \u201cSynodal Way\u201d is a controversial process ..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nGerman Catholic bishop criticizes \u2018Synodal Way\u2019 draft text on role of women - WORLD CATHOLIC NEWS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/german-catholic-bishop-criticizes-synodal-way-draft-text-on-role-of-women\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"German Catholic bishop criticizes \u2018Synodal Way\u2019 draft text on role of women - WORLD CATHOLIC NEWS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"CNA Staff, Sep 3, 2020 \/ 05:00 am (CNA).- A Catholic bishop has sharply criticized a text produced by the German Church\u2019s \u201cSynodal Way\u201d forum on the role of women. In an open letter published Sept. 2, Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer said that a draft text prepared by the forum on \u201cWomen and Offices,\u201d also known as Forum III, \u201clacks any theological level.\u201d The bishop of Regensburg was referring to a document produced by a working group on the \u201cParticipation of women in leadership under the current conditions of canon law.\u201d Voderholzer, a professor of dogmatics, expressed concern about the document\u2019s presentation of the establishment of the sacraments, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA\u2019s German-language news partner. \u201cThe fact that the sacraments of the time pertain to the post-Paschal Church is obscured. That there is, however, in theology a very differentiated reflection on the question of the institution of the sacraments is ignored,\u201d the bishop said. 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