/ world today news/ The Vatican cannot find a common language with the German clergy because of their views on reforms – in Germany they are calling for radical changes. Is Europe waiting for the second Reformation?
For the common good
“Renewal has no alternative. Remembering the past, we at the same time feel the musty taste of the old leaven of malice and baseness. Down with the old leaven, even if it is problematic and painful!” – Georg Betzing, head of the diocese of Limburg and chairman of the German bishops’ conference, addressed the congregation with such an almost revolutionary sermon on Easter night.
His word became the final chord of another stage of the “Synodal Way”, which ended at the end of March. Bishops from around the world will gather in Rome this fall to discuss burning issues.
For this, Pope Francis introduced special preparatory stages in 2021. The Synodal Path is one of them. This is a kind of regional level: the clergy and laity in the settlements discuss what is painful and then send the final document to the center.
The ultimate goal, according to the pope, is to “encourage universal participation in church processes” and “to revitalize relations between communities.”
The idea was taken up with enthusiasm in Germany, where already in 2019 they started talking about the need for reforms. The number of Catholics in the country, although it has decreased in recent years, still hovers around a third of the population (approximately 21 million people). In addition, the main theological cadres for the Vatican are cultivated here.
© AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia
Pope Francis at the opening of the 15th Regular General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican
In the last year and a half, the clergy and the faithful have passed several “progressive resolutions” which have been brought to the notice of the Holy See. There, however, they reacted with apprehension to the enthusiasm.
After all, it was with the criticism from the mouth of the popular theologian Martin Luther 500 years ago that the Reformation began. The event split the Catholic world and led to the emergence of a new Christian denomination – Protestantism.
This time, for the common good, the Germans proposed that the laity be permitted to regularly preach mass and perform baptisms. In the reply letter, the chief “supervisor” of the observance of the proper performance of the rites, Cardinal Arthur Roche, stated that neither was possible.
According to him, the priest has a special, sacred status – hence the right to preach. Regarding the second, Roche noted that an ordinary person can baptize another only in special circumstances: when there is a threat to life and health.
WantsT the best
In Germany, however, they insist on their own. “The majority of bishops support reforms and strive for sustainable change,” explained Georg Betzing. And his deputy, Franz-Josef Bode, said that in Osnabrück, progressive practices have already been adopted: parishioners can baptize and preach freely.
© RIA Novosti / Sergey Kuznetsov
Martin Luther monument in Dresden
This is not the only initiative that proposes a radical break with millennial traditions.
Thus, in February of last year, the faithful in Frankfurt am Main called on the Pope to allow female priesthood. Advocates of innovation insisted on an “open door” policy. For example, the congregation of the world’s largest religious structure (1.2 billion followers) is rapidly declining, so it needs to keep up with the times.
However, while the Vatican’s position is clear. As early as 30 years ago, Pope John Paul II wrote: “The Church does not have the authority to give the priesthood to women. This decision must be supported by all believers.”
Successors – including the German pontiff Benedict XVI – took the same view.
German Catholics are also pushing for the abolition of celibacy. It is with this tradition that many in the Roman Church associate the problem with pedophilia. Among them is the influential Cardinal Reinhard Marx.
“For some priests, it would be better if they were married. Not just for sexual reasons. But also because they won’t be so lonely,” he explained.
© AFP 2023 / Sven Hope
Cardinal Reinhard Marx
Hence another conclusion: the attitude towards the LGBT community should be reconsidered.
Usually such appeals remain on paper. But the German congregation with the clergy went further – there at the local level they legalized the blessing of same-sex couples.
It defies belief. The same Pope Francis called the wedding of gays and lesbians unacceptable, although he himself has nothing against civil same-sex unions.
System breakers
Theological innovations developed into administrative ones. In the autumn, the German clergy demanded that the Vatican create a “Synodal Committee” – a governing body that is actually independent of the spiritual center.
In the city of St. Peter they tried to hush it up. It didn’t work out. As a result, the initiative was vetoed two months ago.
“Such a body would de facto form a new church structure in Germany that places itself above the authority of the German bishops’ conference and actually replaces them,” said Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s second-in-command.
© AFP 2023 / Alberto Pizzoli
Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin
In other words, the rigid vertical of Catholic power that had been entrenched for centuries could be broken.
In addition, the Pope is resorting to the old tried and tested method. In March, he fired Betzing’s deputy, Franz-Josef Bode, for covering up sex scandals in the diocese of Osnabrück. By the way, he applied for retirement at the end of 2022. But Francis decided to satisfy it only now.
In addition, the pope updated his council of cardinals – a small advisory body – and removed Reinhard Marx from its composition. Instead, he appointed the Archbishop of Luxembourg, the Jesuit Jean-Claude Hollerich, who held more conservative views.
“The feeling of the second Reformation is still present. The spirit of renewal is still strong in the country. And Luther’s ideas have not lost their relevance,” noted Vaticanist Alexey Yudin.
In one way or another, according to him, now in many countries they are trying to make the dogma more liberal. Although they try not to touch the basics.
© AP Photo / Vatican Media
Pope Francis greets parishioners after the Easter service at the Vatican
“One of them is the Pope. For believers, he is undoubtedly the successor of the Apostle Peter,” says the scientist.
But in Germany “liberalism has overstepped its bounds.” And the desire for renewal, according to the expert, may adversely affect the future of the German church. The situation is aggravated by the contradictions in the community: “Along with the supporters of the reforms, there are also conservatives.”
Therefore, it is not yet clear how the Vatican will solve the problem. If that fails, then the world’s largest denomination will undergo a massive change.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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