A first sign of the reform process?

The Frankfurt Synodal Assembly of the Catholic Church has upgraded the voting rights of women in its meetings. During a debate on the Rules of Procedure, the delegates decided on this Friday afternoon that a majority of women must also vote in favor of a resolution in order for it to be considered adopted.

134 delegates voted for this strengthening of the voice of women, which corresponds to a share of more than two thirds. 62 opposed, 14 abstained. Among the 230 synod participants, 159 are men and 70 are women. One person describes himself as diverse.

Female minority upgraded

The statutes of the Synodal Way require a two-thirds majority for the adoption of resolutions – that of all participants and also that of the bishops present. Initially, a group of four delegates had demanded that a two-thirds majority of women should therefore also be stipulated. This group then agreed with the proposal to call for a simple majority of the women present to vote on a motion.

Synodal assembly adopts rules of procedure

Furthermore, the Frankfurt Synodal Assembly of the Catholic Church agreed on Friday with more than 90 percent approval on a set of rules of procedure. Earlier, the 230 delegates had intensively debated the composition of the working groups, the so-called forums. They are to prepare drafts on the topics of power, women, sexual morality and the way of life of priests.

The synodal assembly will later debate and decide on these proposals.

The proposal of a group of bishops around Bishop Gregor Maria Hanke of Eichstatt, according to which proposals of the forums cannot reach the plenary assemblies if they contradict church teaching or if they have not been adopted unanimously in the forum, was rejected by a large majority of the synodal assembly.

However, the assembly accepted another proposed amendment. In the background, there had been criticism that each working group should only include about 30 people. These should belong to the synodal assembly or be appointed from the outside. Participants complained that this process could lead to "first- and second-class delegates".

The secretary of the German Bishops' Conference, Father Hans Langendorfer, then explained that the presidium of the synodal assembly had taken into account a number of criteria for the appointment of the four forums: He mentioned the greatest possible diversity in terms of content and a great deal of theological expertise in order to be able to justify decisions well. In addition, a balance between women and men, between East and West Germans, and participation by younger people had been sought.

The synodal assembly then decided with just under 90 percent that five people from its circle could be elected for each forum. In addition, interested synod participants should be able to be invited to other events, such as individual hearings. Langendorfer emphasized that the composition of the forums, which has not yet been published, is not based on arbitrariness: it is an "attempt at optimal participation.

Synod assembly rejects conservative blocking minority

Meanwhile, the first plenary meeting of the Synodal Way in Frankfurt rejected a proposal by conservative bishops to introduce a blocking minority in the working groups. The decision was made on Friday afternoon with a majority of more than 85 percent.

The five bishops Hanke, Ipolt, Oster, Voderholzer and Woelki had requested that only "unanimously" adopted proposals from the forums be forwarded to the plenary assembly planned for next September. This would have given a minority of four members in each forum already a blocking minority with veto power.

In addition, according to the proposal of the five bishops, submissions that contradict church teaching should not be allowed.

The amendment formulated in this way was rejected by 87 percent of the synod members, 12 percent voted in favor. In counter-speeches to the motion presented by Bishop Gregor Maria Hanke of Eichstatt, it was emphasized that the synodal assembly must be able to debate and decide on controversial ies and that these should not already be segregated at the level of the forums.

Considerable need for speeches and votes

The first debates at the plenary meeting of the Synodal Way of the Catholic Church had shown a considerable need for speech and voting among bishops and laity. The Regensburg Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer doubted this Friday in Frankfurt that the major study on sexual abuse in the Catholic clergy in Germany (MHG study) of 2018 was at all suitable as a basis for the internal church reform debate.

Connection between celibacy and abuse

A causal connection between Catholic peculiarities such as priestly celibacy and sexual morality with the incidence of abuse has by no means been scientifically proven, the bishop explained. Further studies are needed, including comparative studies with other areas of society.

Several speakers rejected the fundamental criticism of the bishop. Caritas President Peter Neher, for example, explained that he knows from the work of the counseling centers that the traditional Catholic sexual morality is no longer up to date and is not suitable for helping people in conflict situations.

Concern about splitting the church

Bishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann of Speyer told the "Rheinpfalz" newspaper this Friday that some bishops warned of a split and were not happy about the initiative: "All German bishops are going down this path with. Even though individuals have said in advance that if the process goes wrong from their point of view, they want to consider dropping out.One should try to make decisions with large majorities – "unanimously". Which does not mean unanimously".

Work to convince

On Friday afternoon, the synod members wanted to discuss the rules of procedure and the composition of the forums on the four central topics of the reform dialogue: sexual morality, the priestly way of life, power and the division of powers, and the role of women in the church. Bochum theologian Thomas Soding called for precise language. "Because our canonical status is disputed, we must be theologically strong." There is a need for persuasion, Soding said. "I think we also need a programmatic declaration of what brings us together, what we are working on, and where the journey should go."

Trusting in God

The Munich social ethicist Markus Vogt called for a change in the way the Catholic Church deals with power. More co-determination by lay people at all levels is necessary, Vogt told the Internet portal katholisch on Friday.de. The Jesuit Bernd Hagenkord had called bishops and laymen to courage and confidence in the reform dialogue. With trust in God and openness in dialogue, it is possible to overcome the crisis in the church, Hagenkord said at a service in Frankfurt Cathedral. The 51-year-old religious is spiritual director of the Synodal Way.

Synodal assembly deals with abuse

The synodal assembly dealt in detail with the topic of sexual abuse in the church. The abuse commissioner of the German Bishops' Conference, Bishop Stefan Ackermann, presented a comprehensive report on the steps taken by the Catholic Church to clarify, come to terms with and prevent abuse since 2002.

Ackermann emphasized that the Catholic Church has increasingly dealt with this problem better and more efficiently. Since the publication of the abuse study in 2018, there had been further progress. The latest improvement, he said, is that in all German dioceses, since the beginning of 2020, the guidelines for reappraisal and prevention have had the status of church law. At the same time, the Bishop of Trier said that the work on this ie is not finished, and that he himself continues to see it as his duty to stand up against abuse in the Church.

The synodal assembly acknowledged Ackermann's report with strong applause. In subsequent speeches, it became clear that there are still open questions and new topics. According to Benedictine Philippa Rath, this also includes the spiritual and sexual abuse of religious women. She explained that the line between the two forms of abuse is fluid, even in Germany. She knows that many women religious now struggle with the sacrament of confession for this reason.

Archbishop Ludwig Schick of Bamberg reported on plans of the Catholic bishops to take action against perpetrators of abuse with new means of ecclesiastical criminal law and disciplinary law. He emphasized that ecclesiastical criminal and disciplinary law can only be applied in addition to state criminal law, for example in cases that are not covered by secular law or can no longer be prosecuted by the public prosecutor's office because they are time-barred.

Schick hinted that in the future priests within the church could also be punished with salary withdrawal and other disciplinary measures. He announced that the relevant legislation could be presented and adopted at the level of the Bishops' Conference before the end of the year.

The initiative, launched by the German Bishops' Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), is intended, among other things, to regain trust lost after the abuse scandal. It is so far unique in this form in the Catholic Church. The first synodal assembly will continue until 1. February 2020.