Theologian withdraws from German synodal path

Vatican City, Sep 21, 2019 / 03:08 pm (CNA).- A member of the International Theological Commission has announced that she is no longer available to participate in the “binding synodal path” undertaken by the bishops’ conference of Germany.

Marianne Schlosser, a member of the International Theological Commission, cited concerns over both the approach and methodology of the “synodal path” when she announced that she could no longer participate.

Schlosser, a professor of theology at the University of Vienna and the recipient of the 2018 Ratzinger Prize, was invited to take part in the Synodal Way’s forum “on women in ecclesial roles and offices” as an expert.

Saying she could not identify with the intermediate report of the preparatory group, Schlosser raised a number of issues, in particular identifying a “fixation on ordination” of women.

This “fixation” was neither theologically and historically nor pastorally and spiritually justified, she told news agency KNA. The Catholic Church teaches that it has no authority to admit women to priestly ordination.

Schlosser said the discussion about ordination had “been conducted for so long,” all arguments had been exchanged and were on the table.

Since it was “not a disciplinary question,” the topic “could not be negotiated in a synodal forum with mixed members”, i.e. between bishops and laity, she said.

Schlosser had not been present for the two preparatory meetings held so far.

The theologian also expressed the fear of a progressive polarization of the church in Germany.

On Sep 23, 2014, Pope Francis appointed  Schlosser as a member of the International Theological Commission. She was also appointed a member of the study commission investigating the female diaconate in 2016.

The Bavarian is also an advisor to the Faith Commission of the German bishops’ conference and since January 2018 a member of the Theological Commission of the Austrian bishops’ conference.

A version of this story was first published by CNA Deutsch.


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4 Comments

  1. Let us hope that this is the ray of the light that would dawn in many , many hearts world over , to see the plight of the church in Germany through the aching heart of the Holy Father …to bring forth all the armaments that are in
    The Church , against the enemy .. for the fruit of unity in The Spirit , for the graces of mercy for sins against The Church , down through the generations ..
    For rebellion against the honor to be given The Father ,in repentance for sins against His children world over ..
    for generational evils of new age and related bestial spirits, which led to the Nazi atrocities ..
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYpsKNzKZpnXdnQ0IQd8Ufw – good site , to have a
    ‘ prayer partner ‘ close at hand, in the Holy Spirit and thus the richness in relationships ..
    Let us hope too that enough of the English speaking persons world over would be moved to see this as an occasion to ask for mercy , with the Holy Father , to wake up hearts from lukewarmness , to be delivered from similar evils and generational spirits of pride, rebellion and lusts that lurk close at hand , in families and lives world over .
    Blessed Feast of St.Pio !
    Mary , Queen of Peace pray for us all .

  2. We must admire the typically German precision of the present moment, when that still-localized gangrene efficiently limps forward to AMPUTATE ITSELF from the Mystical Body of Christ.

    But, like theologian Marianna Schlosser, who two days ago removed herself from the synodal Tennis-Court Oath (“binding” decisions mimicking early Revolutionary France), surely many of the 69 lockstep (?) bishops can find some way before and during the December spectacle to decline to act as Latter Day Lutherans and worse. So very retrograde, this RERUN AFTER FIVE CENTURIES…

    And intriguing, too, must have been the backroom negotiation whereby the 69 bishops among the 200 synod members (now 199), became OUTNUMBERED by 70 members of the rogue lay group—the Central Committee of German Catholics that has demanded the ordination of women, an end to clerical celibacy, the blessing of same-sex unions by the Church and rethinking of all Catholic teachings on sexuality. (Schlosser was among the third group of 61.)

    What a festering joke. . .

    Is there anything to prevent the other thousands of LOCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND MORE COLLEGIAL BISHOPS across the world from speaking their minds even NOW, well apart from the multi-lingual and pre-emptive tutelage scheduled to follow the Germania three-ring circus (announced by Cardinal Marx)?

    Synodality off the rails—the substantive universality of the Church soon to be REPLACED BY ESPERANTO!

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