Church
Central Committee of Catholics passes reform resolution
Delegates to the general assembly of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZDK). photo
© Carsten Koall/dpa
The reform process in the Catholic Church is progressing slowly, too slowly from the point of view of many believers. Now the ZdK, as the representative of the laity, decides on an intermediate step that is considered important.
The committee is a result of the “Synodal Path”, within which Catholics in Germany discussed greater participation, women’s rights, diversity and other issues for three and a half years. At the end of March this year, it was agreed that synodality – i.e. joint deliberation and decision-making – should continue, namely in the committee.
Bishops still have to agree
The working basis of this committee is the statutes. In order for it to be effective, after the ZdK, the German Bishops’ Conference, as the second sponsor, must also make a decision on it. Against this background, Berlin Archbishop Heiner Koch called the ZdK vote an important sign for which he was grateful.
Over the next three years, the Synodal Committee should clarify how exactly the faithful in the Catholic Church are heard and involved more and have a greater say. Following the work of the committee, a Synodal Council is to be created in which laypeople can then have a permanent, equal say.
Many German bishops support the plan, which Rome sometimes views with suspicion. 23 of the 27 diocesan bishops took part in the committee’s first meeting about two weeks ago in Essen, and four boycotted the meeting. The new committee also includes 27 delegates elected by the ZdK and 20 other people.
Abuse scandal triggers reform debate
The trigger for the reform debate and efforts was the abuse scandal that rocked the Catholic Church more than ten years ago. Since then, more and more cases of sexual abuse and sexualized violence by public officials have gradually become known over the decades. In many cases they had been covered up for a long time. Since then, more and more believers have been running away from the church.
At the two-day ZdK meeting, which ended on Saturday, it was discussed that not only clerics, i.e. church officials, had supported the system. “We have to face the analysis that there has been co-clericalism, looking the other way and covering up in communities, councils and associations for decades,” explained ZdK Vice President Wolfgang Klose. Coming to terms with sexual abuse remains on the ZdK agenda.