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BERLIN \u2014 Sexual abuse has cast a long shadow over the German Catholic Church in the past 12 years. Now, it is overshadowing the third Synodal Assembly, in which delegates face pressure to deliver immediate and tangible results.<\/p>\n
Nearly 230 lay and religious delegates will meet in Frankfurt Feb. 3-5 for the third of five assemblies of the Synodal Path, organized to revitalize the church and restore trust following a September 2018 church-commissioned report that detailed thousands of cases of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy over six decades.<\/p>\n
But since Jan. 20, the Catholic Church in Germany has been rocked by a church-commissioned law firm report on sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. The 1,900-page report said, among other things, that retired Pope Benedict VXI had mishandled four cases of clerical abuse when he was Munich archbishop.<\/p>\n
And in mid-January, more than 100 Catholic Church employees \u2014 including priests, religious educators, doctors and nurses \u2014 publicly identified themselves as part of the LGBTQ community in a documentary broadcast at prime time on the main ARD channel of German television and repeated in regional channels. An online petition by #OutInChurch \u2014 For a Church Without Fear has been signed by more than 86,000 people.<\/p>\n
Irme Stetter-Karp, who as the new president of the Central Committee of German Catholics is a co-chair of the Synodal Path, said it is at a crossroads.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need clear votes for an end to the abuse of power \u2014 especially by bishops. Decisions should be made together with the grassroots of Catholics. And it is high time that those who are affected (victims) are involved,\u201d she said in a statement Jan. 21.<\/p>\n
This was echoed in an open letter published Jan. 31 by the grassroots reform movement We Are Church and 25 other organizations and further endorsed by four victims support initiatives.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn this dramatic situation, the Third Plenary Assembly of the Synodal Path can and must bring tangible and immediate change. Internationally, too, the hopes and expectations regarding the Synodal Path in Germany are great,\u201d said the open letter.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ordinary members of the church finally want to see the first deeds of reform, not hear any more promises of delay,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n
At the Synodal Assembly, delegates expect to adopt the first binding resolutions on the reform texts. In addition, the contentious issue of women\u2019s ordination and the blessing of same-sex couples will be on the agenda in a first reading. These texts \u2014 discussed in small groups, or forums \u2014 include possible action on women in sacramental ministry.<\/p>\n
If adopted, the action text \u201cInvolvement of the faithful in the appointment of the diocesan bishop,\u201d could be one of the first binding resolutions. It proposes that a gender-balanced body should be elected in each diocese to act as a \u201cco-deciding body\u201d with the cathedral chapter in a list of three bishop candidates to be sent to the Holy See.<\/p>\n
At weekend Masses Jan. 29-30, Bishop Ulrich Neymeyr of Erfurt had a letter about the current tensions read aloud in parishes.<\/p>\n
\u201cDear fellow Christians, in these days we are experiencing the profound crisis of our church with a new vigor: Once again, we are made aware of the suffering inflicted on people in the church through sexualized violence. Once again, we have to hear about the failure of those responsible, who did not punish priests whose crimes they knew about, while advocating a strict sexual morality.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the issue surrounding the retired pope \u201cappalls many faithful, as does the rejection of the resignation of the bishops who have admitted their responsibility and asked to be relieved. I can understand that very well.\u201d He said the situation of some people feeling marginalized because of gender \u201cneeds to change.\u201d<\/p>\n
He asked parishioners, many of whom stuck with the church in difficult circumstances under communism, to not abandon the church but to share in the journey forward in the Synodal Path where \u201cproposals are being developed to address the systemic causes of what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
In mid-January, the Archdiocese of Berlin held a virtual session in which small groups reported back on their forum discussions.<\/p>\n
Asked by a participant about his stance is on the ordination of women, Archbishop Heiner Koch answered, \u201cYou know that this question is controversial even in our diocese. The one person says, \u2018Here hinges the future of the church,\u2019 others say \u2018That\u2019s precisely what we do not want.’\u201d<\/p>\n
The Catholic Church teaches that women cannot be priests.<\/p>\n
Koch said he understands some women disagree, but he would not publicly oppose church teaching.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will keep an open mind to the question of the diaconate,\u201d he said, noting that \u201cperhaps it would be a valve, an opening, that would at least for a certain time calm things down.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also spoke of his fear of this issue splitting German Catholics.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is one of the biggest, maybe one of the biggest worries I have as a bishop \u2014 do we stay together, does it keep us together, or does such a decision lead to \u2026 a bit of disunity and even division. That is the biggest fear I have. In this state of tension I also stand, and I can\u2019t get out of it, either.\u201d<\/p>\n
Passau Bishop Stefan Oster, Regensburg Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer and Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne have repeatedly stated they completely oppose the ordination of women.<\/p>\n
Lay leaders also are split, although the majority of the delegates to the Synodal Assembly are expected to support women\u2019s ordination.<\/p>\n
Dorothea Schmidt, a delegate to the Synodal Assembly, told Catholic News Service<\/em> she is against the ordination of women and believes priests should stay celibate in order to concentrate on their calling. She is part of the New Beginning Initiative, which, in January, presented Pope Francis with a manifesto signed by 6,000 people. The document acknowledged the need for fundamental changes in the church but said the Synodal Path ignores the core of the crisis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nCredit: Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BERLIN \u2014 Sexual abuse has cast a long shadow over the German Catholic Church in the past 12 years. Now, it is overshadowing the third Synodal Assembly, in which delegates face pressure to deliver immediate and tangible results. Nearly 230 lay and religious delegates will meet in Frankfurt Feb. 3-5 for the third of five […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":55252,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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