“Real changes”

adminonDecember 31, 2021January 5, 2022Leave a Comment

Bishop Franz-Josef Bode © Lars Berg (KNA)

The starting signal for the reform process in the Catholic Church in Germany has been given. What will dialogue between laity and bishops bring? Osnabruck Bishop Franz-Josef Bode hopes the synodal journey will bring "real changes".

This applies "especially with regard to a church of participation and, if possible, new forms for women in ministries and offices, with regard to various questions of priestly ministry and the different ways people live," Bode said in an interview published Wednesday by the Viennese theological feuilleton "feinschwarz.net".

All these questions concern the credibility of the church, said the deputy president of the German Bishops' Conference. And credibility is a prerequisite for evangelization, he said. Only in an "attitude of synodality" could the church enter the future. For resolutions that are conveyed as votes to Rome in the Synodal Way, he hopes for "a fraternal response from there, such as an invitation to a regional synod".

Regaining confidence

In their reform dialogue, called the Synodal Way, the German Catholic bishops and the Central Committee of Catholics want to discuss the future of church life in Germany. One goal is to regain trust lost after abuse scandal and address systemic causes of abuse.

Osnabruck theologian Margit Eckholt opposed the exclusion of women from ordination in the Catholic Church. She criticized a "narrowing of the argumentation to the sexuality of man". This leads to the fact that the church argumentation has less and less plausibility and acceptance with the Christians. "And this concerns not only the churches in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, but also the churches of the South."

A Jew with a cell phone © Deltaoff (shutterstock)

They are stopgap measures, but apparently quite workable. Rabbis, too, must consider how to care for their congregants these days – on Shabbat, Passover and beyond.

Until recently, he could not imagine all these activities on the Internet. Rabbi Avichai Apel of Frankfurt looks with satisfaction at the digital emergency solutions that were tested for the first time last week for the weekly Jewish day of rest Shabbat.

For just as in churches, services are currently banned in synagogues because of the Corona crisis. In addition, Orthodox Judaism forbids the use of electrical devices on Shabbat – so there is no possibility of broadcasting services live.

Many a rabbi had therefore held services alone well before the start of the day of rest on Friday evening, which could be broadcast live at the time. "I am very pleased with the first Shabbat of this kind," said Apel, who is on the board of the Orthodox Rabbinical Conference of Germany (ORD). "This was very interesting and gratifying." For until now he had been rather critical of such digital offerings.

Apel himself celebrated a service in Frankfurt last Friday afternoon, for which about 90 families had registered online, he says. "It was a wonderful experience." And: "We will try to continue this as long as necessary." Now the second such Shabbat is coming up this Friday.

And it's not just about Shabbat – because Passover, one of the highest Jewish festivals, is just around the corner. Start is the eve of 9. April. That evening, the festival commemorating the Exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt is ushered in with a communal meal. The fact that every household will have to celebrate the Seder meal alone this year because of the coronavirus is causing unease and also anxiety among Jews worldwide, despite all their understanding.

Restricting Passover to one's own home

The chairman of the General Rabbinical Conference of Germany (ARK), Andreas Nachama, points out in a recent newsletter that saving lives is currently a priority – even if it is "sad and bitter" to limit Passover to one's home. But the point now, he said, is to avoid as much social contact as possible. The ARC unites rabbis who work in unity congregations and in liberal congregations.

Very fresh is a religious law ruling by some Orthodox rabbis, according to which the use of the video conferencing service "Zoom" is allowed and elderly people in quarantine can exceptionally participate in the family dinner via a video link. You must turn on devices and program before the holiday begins.

The justification given was that the technology was being used to fulfill a religious obligation. Also, he said, it was important to strengthen the bond between the boys and their grandparents and prevent depression and sadness. The decision is highly controversial.

Criticism came, among others, from Israeli Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau.

Apel also can't understand the ruling, calling it a minority decision by very few rabbis. He himself does not feel bound by this, each rabbi can decide for himself. Concerns about being alone weigh heavily, "but we don't have a life-and-death emergency here".

Using the telephone on Shabbat as an exception

It was different with the special permission granted to Corona patients to use the telephone on Shabbat as an exception. Because in this case, it is a matter of protecting life – an act that is above all rules and regulations, emphasizes Apel.

The rabbi adds that pastoral care is currently focused on phone calls and the Internet. This currently included, for example, attunements to Passover, in order to make the feast lively again this year. There are, for example, communal learning opportunities for children and adults: "The main thing is to be there. And we have to break down the walls between people."

In view of the restrictions on the practice of religion, which not only affect Jews and, for example, also hit Christians hard in view of the upcoming Easter celebration, Apel calls for solidarity.

"There is no difference between the religion, origin and sexual orientation. Every man is a man."

The Anglican Church of England and the Presbyterian Church of Scotland want to strengthen their cooperation. But a recently published agreement is now causing discord in Britain.

It was to be an unprecedented "historic milestone" in the ecumenical movement in the United Kingdom. However, the full-throated "Columba Agreement" between the Anglican Church of England and the Presbyterian Church of Scotland is now causing discord between British Christians. And this despite the fact that it had not even come into effect yet.

In a press statement at Christmas, representatives of the two churches had released the 15-page contract named after an Irish missionary. More than five years of joint deliberations were needed to agree on the text, the Rev. John McPake of Scotland and the Bishop of Chester, Peter Forster, announced. The result sounds progressive indeed: the two churches are to "grow together" and "strengthen their partnership," according to the wording. In concrete terms, this means, for example, that in the future believers will be able to attend services of the other church. This would affect millions of believers in the U.K.

The Anglican Church came into being at the time of the Reformation in England. King Henry VIII. Broke with the pope in 1533 for refusing to annul King's marriage. As the head of a new state church, Henry VIII set himself up. in 1534 itself. Worldwide, the Anglican Church says it has about 85 million members. The Presbyterian Church of Scotland, also formed during the Reformation, is the national church there. It includes about 40 percent of the 5.3 million Scots.

Scottish Episcopal Church against the agreement

But one member church of the Anglican Communion is now vehemently opposed to the agreement, which is expected to be approved by the relevant bodies in the coming months: the Scottish Episcopal Church. Although their membership is only around 40.000, it could nullify the entire covenant. Scottish Primate and avid blogger David Chillingworth is currently doing his best to verbally torpedo the "Columba Declaration".

Although the 64-year-old clergyman himself was involved in the deliberations, he felt left out and demanded a new draft. The current declaration has caused "profound pain". And the good relations with the Church of England could be "seriously damaged".

Opening marriage to same-sex couples and ordination of women bishops

The Scottish Episcopal Church has always been known for special ways: In 17. century, it split from the Church of Scotland and, unlike the Presbyterians, remained faithful to the principle of Episcopalism (governance by bishops). More recently, Scotland's Anglicans attracted some attention with the opening of marriage to same-sex couples and the ordination of women bishops.

The fact that the "Columba Declaration" makes Primate Chillingworth uncomfortable has one main reason: the Anglican sister church in England explicitly calls on its members to attend services of the Presbyterians in Scotland. "But the Scottish partner of the Anglican community is us," is the not unjustified objection of the church leader. The faithful would be better off "making their own decision" after all.

Verbal spikes have an effect

Chillingworth also fears the English could send clergy to serve in Scotland – without Episcopal Church involvement. In his eyes, this would be a grave breach of "ecumenical etiquette".

The primate's verbal spikes do not miss their mark. For days, he has been making headlines in the British media with his criticism of the church pact. The Church of Scotland felt compelled to respond with a mollifying press release: It said it wanted to set up a joint "contact group" "to coordinate the various activities that make up our rich relationship". Fails to do so, 'Columba declaration' could end up doing ecumenism more harm than good.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply