Church
Bishop Bätzing wants to eliminate the conflict with Rome
Bishop Georg Bätzing announces that a German delegation will travel to Rome “soon”. photo
© Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa
Right-wing extremism and war – the bishops had important social problems to discuss. But then a cross shot came from the Vatican. Now it should set up a dialogue offensive in Rome.
The big bang came less than two days before the spring meeting of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) in Augsburg. High representatives of the Vatican called on the German pastors to remove a decision about an important joint body with laypeople from the agenda – since then the entire German Synodal Path reform process has been in jeopardy. But the Catholic bishops hope to resolve the conflict Rome can be solved through joint discussions.
The DBK chairman, Limburg’s Bishop Georg Bätzing, announced at the end of the general assembly that a German delegation would travel to Rome “soon”. On Monday, Bätzing complained unusually clearly that the talks were being delayed by the Vatican and that no timely appointments could be made in Rome. “We could be much further along,” said Bätzing – now, according to him, there is an appointment. But he didn’t want to give the date, just this: the talks were planned “in good time.”
In the reform committee, bishops and lay people should work together and make decisions on an equal basis. This displeases the Vatican. Bätzing was optimistic that the irritations could be resolved through communication. “Perhaps the Roman side also has a suggestion,” he said.
Specifically, the dispute is about the so-called Synodal Committee, which is supposed to advance the further steps of the reform process. The committee, made up of bishops and laypeople, was constituted in November. In a further step, DBK and the highest lay body, the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), were supposed to adopt the statutes – this has now been torpedoed by the Vatican. Actually, everything should be done in mid-June, at the next scheduled meeting of the committee.
Catholic lay president insists on participation
Meanwhile, ZdK President Irme Stetter-Karp made it clear once again that the laity do not want to forego participation in the church. “We will of course discuss the next steps in our committees. But I want to mark a substantive limit for our cooperation with the bishops today,” she told the German Press Agency. “As the Presidium of the ZdK, we maintain that our goal is joint consultation and decision-making. We are not available for consultation alone – or in other words for a pure simulation of synodality.”
In any case, it should be clear to Bätzing and his colleagues that there is a lot at stake. With the Synodal Way, the Catholic Church wants to find a way out of the crisis that was triggered by the numerous cases of abuse that have become known in the past. The loss of trust among believers is great and has been manifested for years in the fact that many members of the Catholic Church are turning their backs and leaving. “The reforms will not stop the megatrend, but without reforms we will accelerate the megatrend,” said Bätzing.
Wars and threats to democracy
In any case, the dispute over the reform process overshadowed the four-day meeting of the approximately 60-member bishops’ committee. The senior shepherds also dealt with a number of other current problems. The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East were also discussed, as were the threats to democracy in Germany.
In this regard, a paper on dealing with the resurgence of right-wing extremism and right-wing populism was unanimously passed. “Ethnic nationalism and Christianity are incompatible,” the document says.
It was made clear to church employees that with such thinking they had no future in the church: “The spread of right-wing extremist slogans – including in particular racism and anti-Semitism – is also incompatible with full-time or voluntary service in the church,” the document says.
The bishops also address the entire population: “We appeal to our fellow citizens, including those who do not share our faith, to reject and reject the political offers of the far right. Anyone who wants to live in a free and democratic society can cannot find a home in this idea.”
Attitude towards the AfD
The bishops also specifically name the AfD. In the past there had also been different positions on the party among the bishops. Before the state elections in Bavaria in autumn 2023, Augsburg Bishop Bertram Meier caused irritation when he spoke out in an interview in favor of a differentiated approach to AfD members in the church.
Bätzing now made it clear: “Voting for such a party means going against the basic values of human coexistence and democracy in our country.” But the bishops also want to maintain a dialogue with people “who are receptive to such extremist messages.”