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Pope Francis lashed out at Germany’s Catholic Church leadership on Thursday, reminding the country’s faithful that German bishops do not have the authority to promote new theology or change church governance.
The statement was released by the Holy See on Thursday morning. In the message, the pope expressed concern for Germany’s laity and clergy if their leaders break with established church teaching. The statement claimed that Catholics would be negatively affected by the many proposed changes to the church being pushed by Cardinal Reinhard Marx and other liberal German leaders in their “Synodal Way”.
The Synodal Way—sometimes called the Synodal Way—is a controversial church committee in Germany. The synod, organized by the German Bishops’ Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics, aims to discuss and consider four loose topics: sexual ethics, the structure of church government, the role of women in the church and the vocation of the priesthood.
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“In order to protect the freedom of God’s people and the exercise of the episcopal ministry, it seems necessary to clarify that the ‘Synodal Way’ in Germany does not have the power to compel bishops and the faithful to accept new ways of governing and new approaches to doctrine and morals.” said the statement of the Holy See. “Prior to reaching an agreement at the level of the universal Church, it would not be permissible to initiate new official structures or doctrines in the dioceses that would constitute a wound for ecclesial communion and a threat to the unity of the Church.”
Pope Francis is assisted by his assistant Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza, left, as he walks with a cane to his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on June 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)
Marx, who headed the committee, presented proposals to change teachings on homosexuality, marriage, masturbation, female priests and others that contradicted the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
A significant change in the government of the German church or its belief system could push it into a schism with the Holy See, thereby breaking away from the Catholic Church. Such a conflict could prove disastrous for both German Catholics and the Catholic Church as a whole – thanks to the long-standing state “church tax”, the Catholic Church in Germany is perhaps the richest branch of the institution.
Earlier this year, more than 100 bishops from around the world issued an open letter to German bishops urging them to end the synod and refrain from making illegal changes.
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Pope Francis has struggled to balance his firm grip on the Catholic hierarchy and defense of church teaching with his pronounced openness to developing non-dogmatic Catholic traditions.
Cardinal Reinhard Marx, archbishop of Munich and president of the German bishops’ conference, celebrates the conference’s opening mass at the cathedral in Fulda, Germany, on September 25, 2018. (ARNE DEDERT/DPA/AFP via Getty Images)
Individual Catholic churches – sometimes called “particular churches” – maintain their own bishops and leaders. These regional church leaders are generally expected to act autonomously and handle their own affairs without direct action from the Pope. Pope Francis, however, has been quick to rhetorically chastise would-be reformers who are at risk of flouting Rome’s central authority for changes in doctrine or governance.
The Pope reiterated this balancing act in his message to German Catholics. The statement for the German synod quoted a passage from the “Letter of Pope Francis to the Pilgrim People of God in Germany,” which said: “The universal Church lives in and from the individual churches, just as the private churches live and flourish in and from the universal Church. If they find themselves separated from the whole church body, they weaken, rot and die. Hence the need to always ensure that communion with the whole body of the Church is alive and effective.”
The bishop of Rome concluded the message with an appeal to the “universal” nature of the church and its need for worldwide cooperation – the term “catholic” being Greek for “universal”.
Pope Francis wrote: “Therefore, we hope that the proposals of the Way of the individual churches in Germany will converge with the synodal way followed by the universal Church, for mutual enrichment and witness to that unity with which the body of the Church manifests its fidelity to Christ the Lord .”
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Pope Francis’ episcopal philosophy has become more complex than ever, as the leader once considered a solid progressive has become harder to categorize.
The Pope recently chose to appoint women to the Dicastery of Bishops for the first time in history, including two religious sisters and the head of multiple Catholic women’s organizations. He is known for calling for mercy and compassion for homosexual, lesbian and transgender Catholics, stating that they are all children of God and deserve respect. However, he refused to endorse any form of gay marriage in the church, citing the institution as a sacrament that cannot be changed.
Pope Francis has also refused to meddle in US politics, ignoring requests from members of the Catholic Church for him to specifically excommunicate President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who both claim to be Catholic despite supporting abortion policies .
The pope criticized the president’s views as “incoherent” and told him to seek guidance from his pastor, but he has hosted Biden and Pelosi at the Vatican on multiple occasions.
Timothy Nerosi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and email him at timothy.nerozzi@fox.com
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