Five major Catholic associations in Germany have reiterated their demands for structural changes and reforms in the Catholic Church. They express their support for the reform process of the Synodal Way.
It says in a statement released Friday. The Synodal Way is the reform process started by the German bishops and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) following the abuse scandal. Reforms must be boldly advanced, it says.
In view of the massive cases of sexualized violence, the church urgently needs to reform itself, it continues. The loss of credibility extends into the core congregations. "In order to rebuild trust, constructive dialogue and debate on necessary reforms are imperative.
This includes an evangelization that reaches out to people and conveys to them that the Good News and a life of and with faith can be enriching."At the same time, the experiences of the Corona pandemic would have to find their way into the deliberations of the Synodal Way, "without losing sight of the basic concern of the Synodal Way".
After Pope's words on reforms in Germany
With regard to statements by Pope Francis on the Synodal Way, the associations emphasize that the reform process should serve to continue to see the Church as a strong spiritual and pastoral force that communicates the Gospel to society and proclaims it in a credible way. "For this, we need a spiritual orientation, a theological expertise, a new way of listening to each other and an open dialogue."
The declaration was signed by the leaders of the Federation of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ), the Catholic Workers' Movement (KAB), the Catholic German Women's Federation (KDFB), the Catholic Women's Community of Germany (kfd) and the Kolping Society of Germany. According to their own information, they represent about 1.5 million members.
The Synodal Way was launched on the first of Advent 2019. The Corona pandemic has since thoroughly disrupted the schedule of the reform process, which was initially planned to last two years.