Features

On Thursday last, the Vatican published its latest warnings on the developments coming out of Germany and raised fundamental concerns and objections against the Synodal Way.

The reform will enable those who work for the Church and live in a second marriage or in a homosexual partnership to maintain their position and not be dismissed from their roles.

Fr Nelson Medina, a Dominican priest has harshly criticised the president of the German Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing who is an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights in the Church.

Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau said he had perceived strong opposition from the Vatican to the theological and canon law reform proposals of the Synodal Path during the visit by German bishops to Rome last week.

Bishop Georg Bätzing, president of the German bishops’ conference, addressed Pope Francis on November 17, in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace during the bishops’ “ad limina” visits to the Vatican.

The audience with Pope Francis lasted about two hours and was described as an “open round of talks” in which “the bishops were able to raise their questions and issues, and the Pope answered them individually”.

Pope Francis, warning against gossiping in the Church, had told the directors of priests’ seminaries: “You are men, act like men, not like old maids”. This too was “language that is contemptuous of women”, Brockmoeller said.

Towards Peace, a spiritual support service to survivors of abuse by clergy and religious and in Church run institutions on the island of Ireland, submitted its own report that formed part of the Church in Ireland’s National Synthesis through the prism of survivors of Church-based abuse.