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Catholic Church in Germany
German Bishops Urge Stability amid Political Turmoil Following Government Collapse
Cardinal Reinhard Marx and other Catholic voices are calling for calm, emphasizing stability and social cohesion as the German coalition government collapses.
50,000 Altar Servers Headed to Rome for Meeting this Month
The German Bishops’ Conference stated in a July 2 press release the theme for the 13th pilgrimage is “With You,” an expression taken from the Book of Isaiah.
400,000 Germans Quit Catholic Church as Talks between Vatican, Synodal Way Continue
The meeting on Friday resulted in Rome demanding the Germans change the name of the body and agree it cannot have authority over the bishops’ conference.
Germany Now a "mission country": German Bishops’ Conference President amid Declining Catholic Numbers
The president of the German Bishops’ Conference has called Germany — a nation whose history is entangled with the Catholic Church — a “mission country.”
Synodal Standoff: German Bishops and Vatican Commit to Resolution Roadmap
The Vatican and the German bishops have announced they will work together to resolve the controversial German Synodal Way.
Vatican Draws Line on Women’s Ordination and Homosexuality in New Letter to German Bishops
The Vatican has informed German bishops in writing that the ordination of women and changes in the Church’s teaching on homosexuality cannot be subjects of discussion in the upcoming meetings with delegates of the German Synodal Way in Rome.
Pope Francis Expresses "concerns" about German Synodal Way, Says It Threatens Church Unity
Pope Francis has expressed deep reservations about the direction of the Catholic Church in Germany.
Full Text: Pope Francis’ Letter Expressing Concern about German Synodal Way
Here is CNA’s English translation of Pope Francis’ letter to four German Catholic laywomen expressing his “concerns” about the direction of the German Church.
Marian Embrace: Archbishop Gänswein Speaks of Loneliness,Solace in First Public Appearance
In the bustling heart of Catholicism that is Rome, Archbishop Georg Gänswein once stood as a close aide to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. On Tuesday, the former prefect of the Papal Household found himself seeking solace in a tiny Bavarian hamlet called Maria Vesperbild, which typically boasts a modest population of 34.
German Cardinal Under Fire for Admonishing Priest Over Same-sex Blessings
A German cardinal was publicly criticized by the powerful Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) on Monday for formally warning a priest over same-sex blessings in the Archdiocese of Cologne.
German Exodus: Half a Million Catholics Abandon Church in Historic Departure
The Catholic Church in Germany is facing an unprecedented crisis, with more than half a million baptized Catholics leaving the Church in 2022, according to figures released by the German Bishops’ Conference on June 28.
Ringing in a New Era: The Historic Return of Nazi-plundered Bells to Poland
This past weekend, a German bishop and a German state premier took part in an initiative to bring bells stolen by the Nazis during World War II to their rightful homes in Poland.
"We want to remain Catholic": Group of faithful in Germany rejects Synodal Way
Birgit Kelle, spokeswoman for the German lay group Neuer Anfang (New Beginning) in a May 29 interview with EWTN Noticias explained that its members reject the Synodal Path initiated by the Church in Germany because they want to “remain Catholic.”
Abuse Victims Share "wounded heart" with Pope Francis After Bike Trek from Germany
Pope Francis on Wednesday met briefly with a group of abuse victims who undertook a bicycle pilgrimage from Germany to Rome this month to ask the pope to do everything in his power to heal and prevent abuses in the Catholic Church.
Vatican Cardinal Intervenes against German Church’s Plan for Laity to Give Homily, Baptize
The Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has intervened against the implementation of resolutions of the German Synodal Way that demand lay people should be able to regularly baptize and preach the homily at Holy Mass in churches across Germany.
Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Vice President of German Bishops’ Conference
Pope Francis accepted the resignation of a German bishop on Saturday who played a key role in the German Synodal Way and had come under pressure over his handling of clerical sexual abuse in his diocese.
Bells to Ring for Benedict XVI in All Catholic Churches in Germany
A peal of Church bells will ring out across Germany in mourning for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Thursday, the day of his funeral.
German Bishop Must Face Vatican Investigation, Abuse Council Demands
An advisory body of sexual abuse survivors on Monday called for canonical procedures against the vice president of the German Bishops’ Conference.
German Synodal Way Designed to Create "pressure" on the Church, Founding President Says
The German Synodal Way was designed from the outset to avoid legal sanctions while simultaneously creating “pressure” on the Church to change Catholic teaching, one of the founders of the process told German media Friday.
Pope Francis: "We have to keep fighting for women’s equality"
Pope Francis addressed the fight for women’s equality during a press conference aboard the papal plane to Rome on Sunday.
