The theologian Thomas Soeding has reiterated his call for reforms in light of the wave of resignations from the Catholic Church in Germany.
There was no way around organisational and personnel consequences within the institution, the vice-president of the Central Committee of German Catholics told public broadcaster ZDF on Thursday.
He said the controversial Synodal Path reform process in Germany must be continued. It contained many initiatives that wanted to continue working on reforms “but the processes are too slow, there are too many who are putting the brakes on it”.
The Bishops’ Conference had presented figures for 2022 on Wednesday showing that around 522,000 people in Germany left the Church last year – more than ever before. There was also a wave of departures from the Protestant Church in Germany.
The Synodal Path was launched by the German Bishops’ Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics, which represents laypeople, in response to the abuse scandal. The consultations addressed power and the separation of powers, the priestly way of life and the role of women in the Church. The Vatican and bishops’ conferences from other countries voiced sharp criticism of some of the reform resolutions that emerged from the process.
*Originally reported by KNA Germany.
