Synodal path: reforms initiated, meeting canceled

During their deliberations on the Synodal Way, Catholic bishops and lay people initiated many reform projects, for example on the issue of the participation of the faithful. However, the meeting ended prematurely – too many participants left prematurely.

During three-day deliberations on the Synodal Way, clergy and lay people of the Catholic Church discussed more than a dozen concrete reform proposals in the first reading.

A majority of them approved the reform proposal to include believers in the appointment of bishops. In the first reading, the proposal was approved to grant ordinary believers a right of codecision when drawing up the lists of candidates and a right to be heard before being elected from the list of candidates.

A final vote on the reform will take place at a later date. For the proposal to be finally adopted, a two-thirds majority of the 230 delegates, including a two-thirds majority of the bishops, is necessary. The right to appoint bishops generally rests with the Pope.

No quorum towards the end of the meeting

However, the second general assembly on the Synodal Way in Frankfurt am Main was ended prematurely because there were not enough delegates present. There was therefore no quorum for the remaining items on the agenda. Many participants apparently left prematurely after the lunch break.

Despite the premature end of the deliberations, the chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, Georg Bätzing, was pleased with the progress made in the reform process. He spoke of “clear directional decisions”. He was “incredibly touched” because so much had been achieved at the three-day meeting. “No text has been rejected.”

“Disappointment hits us all now”

However, Bätzing could not understand the fact that numerous delegates were leaving early: “I am quite appalled at how many people have now left here during the day. I would like to ask urgently: That is not possible.” He added: “We are all now disappointed at the end of such a wonderful synodal assembly.”

The President of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), Thomas Sternberg, agreed with him: “We have now come to an end that many, many are frustrated with.” At the same time, he pointed out that something like this is not entirely unusual and occurs frequently in political proceedings.

In the Synodal Way, clergy and lay people should jointly advise how the church can emerge from the crisis of confidence after several abuse scandals. The reform process was initiated by the German Bishops’ Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics.

Reform process continues

The Synodal Way is to be extended until the beginning of 2023. Another meeting is planned in late January or early February 2023, announced Bätzing and Sternberg. In view of the abundance of reform proposals, another synodal assembly is necessary. This proposal would have to be approved separately by the Bishops’ Conference and the Central Committee.