Catholic bishops and laity continue their synodal journey on the future of the church this Friday. The focus of the synodal assembly in Frankfurt, which runs until Saturday, is on setting the course for the continuation of the debates.
At the beginning of the second day of the synodal assembly, the Jesuit Bernd Hagenkord called on Catholic bishops and lay people to courage and confidence in the reform dialogue Synodal Way. With trust in God and openness in dialogue, it could be possible to overcome the crisis in the church, said Hagenkord on Friday morning at a service in Frankfurt Cathedral.
The 51-year-old religious is spiritual director of the Synodal Way
The evening before, the first synodal assembly had been opened in the cathedral, also with a church service. It consists of 230 members and is the highest body of the Synodal Way. Six members of the synodal assembly, among them Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau, then gave personal accounts of their approaches to faith and the church. The evening ended with a meal and social gathering at the Romer in Frankfurt.
Rules of procedure and composition of four forums
Today, Friday, the synodal assembly will, among other things, adopt rules of procedure and discuss the composition of four forums. They are to do the groundwork on the central themes of the Synodal Way: sexual morality, the priestly way of life, power and the division of powers, and the role of women in the church.
The initiative, launched by the German Bishops' Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), is intended, among other things, to regain lost trust following the abuse scandal. It is so far unique in this form in the Catholic Church. The first synodal meeting lasts until Saturday.