Four Women Quit German Synodal Way, Say it Casts “doubt on central Catholic doctrines”

In December of last year, however, a key architect of the German process freely admitted that the Synodal Way was designed to create “pressure” on the Church to change Catholic teaching. 

Thomas Sternberg, former president of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), said the controversial process from the outset wanted to achieve changes to the Church’s teaching on homosexuality, the ordination of women, and other topics. 

The German Synodal Way is scheduled to conclude with a final meeting in Frankfurt from March 9-11. 

While delegates have voted for several controversial demands — including the ordination of women priests — previous meetings have also led to tumultuous scenes, making it clear that not all participants agree with the organizers’ agenda.

However, the four women on Feb. 22 said they could no longer in good conscience participate in a process that was “more and more” separating the Church in Germany from the universal Church. 

“The resolutions of the past three years have not only called into question essential foundations of Catholic theology, anthropology as well as church practice, but have reformulated and in some cases completely redefined them,” the women said.

“We cannot and will not share responsibility for that.”

“Fixation on ordination” of women?

The 2018 Ratzinger Prize winner Marianne Schlosser has previously raised concerns, identifying a “fixation on ordination” of women at the process.

A professor of theology at the University of Vienna, Pope Francis appointed Schlosser as a member of the International Theological Commission in 2014. She was also appointed a member of the study commission investigating the female diaconate in 2016.

In an interview with CNA Deutsch last year, Schlosser pointed to several problems with the process, in particular demands for the ordination of women to the priesthood.

She warned that the sacrament of ordination could not just be conflated with hierarchical positions of power. 

“Vatican concerns not forwarded”

In their Wednesday “departure note,” Westerhorstmann, Gerl-Falkovitz, Schmidt and Schlosser also said the Vatican’s concerns about introducing a permanent synodal council in Germany “has not been forwarded to the members of the synodal assembly nor otherwise brought directly to their attention.” 

Pope Francis and other Church leaders have expressed serious concerns about the idea. Such a body would function “as a consultative and decision-making body on essential developments in the Church and society,” according to a Synodal Way proposal.

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More importantly, it would “make fundamental decisions of supra-diocesan significance on pastoral planning, questions of the future, and budgetary matters of the Church that are not decided at the diocesan level.”

Last month, in response to warnings from Rome about taking such a step, the president of the German bishops’ conference suggested he would pursue a “fallback option.”

In their statement, the four signatories on Wednesday said they saw “the need for a profound renewal of the Church, which also has structural relevance.” 

“At the same time, we are convinced that there is a renewal worthy of the name only in the preservation of the ecclesial communion across space and time — and not by rupturing from it.”

So far, no bishops have opted out of the controversial process. In 2020, Auxiliary Bishop Dominikus Schwaderlapp of Cologne renounced his participation in the synodal forum on sexual morality.