Features

The Catholic Church has lost its function as an ethical and moral compass, according to the German child protection expert Hans Zollner.

Last year a team of historians from the University of Muenster presented a study concluding that around 200 priests in Germany’s third largest diocese sexually molested or abused more than 600 minors between 1945 and 2020.

A group of abuse victims from Munich who embarked on a bicycle pilgrimage from Munich to Rome together with friends and relatives completed their tour and met Pope Francis in Rome today.

The Catholic bishop of Wuerzburg, Franz Jung, has called for the Synodal Path reform project in Germany to be examined and evaluated.

It’s been a year since every diocese engaged in a listening process as part of the Synodal Pathway. Many parishes have responded to the issues raised by the people of God and in turn have begun new initiatives, reforms, etc. The Synodal Times contacted all of Ireland’s 26 dioceses to ascertain what types of synodal-inspired initiatives have taken place in parishes since the culmination of the listening sessions. Four dioceses submitted reports in response.

“The great challenge still facing the post-conciliar Church is in becoming a worldwide Church. For that to happen, argues Karl Rahner, cultural differences must become configuring factors of the local churches’ Catholicity,” writes theologian Rafael Luciani.

The Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) has reaffirmed its determination to continue the course of reforms taken by the Catholic Church in Germany.

“So we can agree on this: conservatives are right about one thing, the Church of the future will be fewer but truer. Those who turn up for meetings in a Synodal Church will be asked to train for a Synodal Church, to be lectors, catechists, and deacons,” writes Garry O’Sullivan.

Inspired by the fruits of synodality, the US Conference of Bishops issued five imperative priorities it hopes will be raised this coming October at the Synod of Bishops, ranging from extending the welcome to the peripheries and a greater recognition of the local Church.

Archbishop Georg Gaenswein said Christianity had not gone out of fashion in the Universal Church. “Germany is not the yardstick for a living and powerful faith. Unfortunately.”