The Dispatch: More from CWR...

German bishops in tug of war over blessing same-sex unions

AC Wimmer By AC Wimmer for CNA

September 25, 2023 Catholic News Agency The Dispatch 22 Print

Delegates at the fifth assembly of the German Synodal Way, meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 11, 2023, applaud after the passage of a text calling for changes to the German Church's approach to gender identity. Credit: Jonathan Liedl/National Catholic Register

CNA Staff, Sep 25, 2023 / 11:23 am (CNA).

The German Bishops’ Conference convenes its plenary assembly today, setting the stage for what promises to be a pivotal gathering amid a period of unprecedented tension within the Church in Germany — and with the wider Catholic Church.

On the official agenda for the gathering from Sept. 25–28 in the town of Wiesbaden are topics ranging from handling spiritual abuse to preparations for the upcoming Synod on Synodality in Rome.

However, overshadowing discussions are the profoundly divisive issues brought to the surface by the controversial German Synodal Way, particularly the blessing of same-sex unions — an issue that has seen acts of open defiance across Germany against clarifications from the Vatican.

At the center of this maelstrom is Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, archbishop of Cologne, who faces mounting pressure from multiple fronts, including local media — and some clergy: In open defiance, several priests conducted an event blessing same-sex couples outside the iconic Cologne Cathedral Sept. 21.

According to AP, the ceremony was punctuated by people singing the Beatles’ song “All You Need Is Love” while waving rainbow flags.

Such stunts, covered extensively by the media, are a challenge to Woelki. The Cologne archbishop has reprimanded a priest over blessing same-sex unions, emphasizing that such events are not possible, as explained by the Vatican.

This admonishment drew sharp criticism from Birgit Mock, vice president of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), who labeled Woelki’s actions “beyond incomprehensible.” Mock, who also heads the Synodal Way’s working group on sexuality, has been a staunch advocate for blessing same-sex unions, putting her at odds with Woelki and the official Vatican stance.

Adding fuel to the fire, Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, the president of the German Bishops’ Conference, on Sept. 14 criticized Woelki for having “lost acceptance” with people, CNA Deutsch reported.

Addressing Pope Francis’ criticism of the German Synodal Way, in which the pontiff said Germany does not need two Protestant churches, Bätzing said that he could, in principle, tolerate contradiction. But, “I find the Protestant thing disrespectful; I disagreed. [Pope Francis] also accuses us of being elitist, by which he means the theologians. However, we are envied for [German theologians] in the universal Church.”

Some German theologians have publicly turned their back on the Synodal Way.

Bätzing’s recent public criticism of Pope Francis comes after a July meeting in Rome attempting to bridge the deep concerns and growing divide between the Germans and Rome.

The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a formal declaration on March 15, 2022, stating unequivocally that the Church does not have the power to bless same-sex unions.

The continued open defiance over blessing same-sex unions — supported by prominent prelates such as Cardinal Reinhard Marx — is a symptom of how difficult attempts to dovetail the German Synodal Way with the Synod on Synodality are.

The stakes could not be higher as the German bishops convene in Wiesbaden, and Woelki, portrayed in some German media as a polarizing figure amid the tensions, according to CNA Deutsch, could face a critical juncture.

With financial, social, and theological pressures mounting across German dioceses, the decisions made this week in Wiesbaden could have far-reaching implications, not just for Woelki and his brother bishops but also for the global Catholic community as it gears up for its synodal gathering in Rome.

The Church in Germany is facing an exodus of historic proportions. More than half a million baptized Catholics left the Church in 2022, the highest number of departures ever recorded. These mass departures led several German bishops critical of the Synodal Way, including Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau and Bishop Bertram Meier of Augsburg, to acknowledge the Church’s need to regain trust with “patience and credibility.”

The meeting in Wiesbaden is a crossroads of whether any agreement about finding the right direction ahead can be achieved — or if concerns over another schism from the land of Luther are justified.

If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!

Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.

About Catholic News Agency 10418 Articles
Catholic News Agency (www.catholicnewsagency.com)

Related Articles

No Picture
News Briefs

Religious, secular experts unite in call to protect child safety online

October 6, 2017 CNA Daily News 0

Rome, Italy, Oct 6, 2017 / 12:12 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In a joint declaration on the need to protect youth on the internet, leaders and experts from various fields stressed the need Friday to raise awareness of digital dangers and to collaborate on child protection.

“Every child’s life is unique, meaningful and precious and every child has a right to dignity and safety,” an Oct. 6 joint declaration from participants in a Rome conference on promoting online safety for children read.

However, “today, global society is failing its children.” Instead of being protected, “millions of children are being abused and exploited in tragic and unspeakable ways, and on an unprecedented scale all over the world,” the declaration lamented.

Titled “Pope Francis – A society can be judged by the way it treats its children,” the declaration was drafted by the participants in the conference and presented to Pope Francis during their audience with him Oct. 6.

The conference, held Oct. 3-6 and dedicated to the theme “Child Dignity in the Digital World,” was the first of its kind on a global scale, drawing social scientists, civic leaders, religious leaders, and representatives from major tech companies.

It was organized by the Pontifical Gregorian University’s Center for Child Protection in collaboration with the UK-based global alliance WePROTECT and the organization “Telefono Azzurro,” and addressed concerns surrounding abuse prevention, pornography, the responsibility of internet providers and the media, and ethical governance.

The declaration included 13 action points for the future directed at different sectors of society, including technology companies, law enforcement, governments, and religious leaders.

Key areas highlighted for protecting minors in the future were the fields of education and building awareness of the internet and the risks involved. Participants also advocated for more stringent laws and accountability for online crimes, training of medical and educational personnel in how to look for signs of abuse, and swifter reporting of suspected instances of abuse.

They also asked that major tech companies invest in developing new technologies aimed at protection and identification of online victims, as well as broader efforts to rescue victims and educate youth on what behaviors could put them in harm’s way.

“Technology’s exponential advancement and integration into our everyday lives is not only changing what we do and how we do it, but who we are,” the declaration read.

And while many of these changes are positive, “we face the dark side of this new-found world, a world which is enabling a host of social ills that are harming the most vulnerable members of society.”

Numerous benefits have come from the internet, but alongside these have also grown content that is “increasingly extreme and dehumanizing is available literally at children’s fingertips.”

“The proliferation of social media means insidious acts, such as cyber-bullying, harassment and sextortion, are becoming commonplace,” the document read, noting that both the range and scope of online child sexual abuse and exploitation “is shocking.”

“Vast numbers of sexual abuse images of children and youth are available online and continue to grow unabated,” participants said, adding that the “detrimental impact of pornography on the malleable minds of young children” is yet another increasing and “significant online harm.”

“We embrace the vision of an internet accessible by all people. However, we believe the constitution of this vision must recognize the unwavering value of protecting all children,” the said. And while the challenges are “enormous,” the response “must not be gloom and dismay.”

Instead, “we must work together to seek positive, empowering solutions for all. We must ensure that all children have safe access to the internet to enhance their education, communications and connections.”

Technology companies and governments have shown great leadership in this fight, they said, stressing that representatives of this field “must continue to innovate to better protect children.”

Families, neighborhoods and various communities around the world must also be awakened to the issue and the reality of the impact of the internet on children, including the risks.

Emphasizing the need for collaboration, participants stressed that online abuse and exploitation “is a problem that cannot be solved by one nation or one company or one faith acting alone, it is a global problem that requires global solutions.”

“It requires that we build awareness, and that we mobilize action from every government, every faith, every company and every institution.”

The declaration concluded saying that “the world faces unprecedented challenges if it is to preserve the rights and dignity of children and protect them from abuse and exploitation.”

These challenges “require new thinking and approaches, heightened global awareness and inspired leadership,” it read, and issued a global appeal for everyone “to stand up for the protection of the dignity of children.”

In an Oct. 6 news briefing with journalists after the audience with Pope Francis closing the conference, Fr. Hans Zollner SJ, president of the CCP, said the conference was “very intense and very successful.”

“There was a unique sense of unity” among participants across the board, he said, explaining that he “felt absolutely enthused about the way people were interacting, networking and comping up with interactive proposals.”

Also present at the news briefing was Baroness Sheila Hollins, a professor and member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

In her comments, she said that when historians look back at the digital age, they will most likely say it was the age that “changed the world in one generation,” and we’ll be judged on “did we do enough?”

She spoke of the need to engage at various levels in order to address the problem, particularly with youth themselves, who are the “digital natives” most familiar with new forms of technology and therefore are the best interlocutors.

Another suggestion that came out of working groups was a possible encyclical on “on childhood and the social environment,” given the rapid changes society is undergoing.

Hollins also noted a proposal made by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, who during a keynote speech suggested an in-depth study be made on childhood from an anthropological, philosophical, and theological perspective, keeping in mind the different cultural perceptions of childhood, and that while some things are forbidden in some cultures, they might be acceptable in others.

Dr. Ernie Allen, Chair of the International Advisory Board for WePROTECT, said that the organization intends to get the topic of the digital world and safety concerns on the table at relevant events in the coming years, such as the 2018 Synod of Bishops on youth, the 2018 World Meeting of Families in Dublin, and the 2019 World Youth Day in Panama.

[…]

No Picture
News Briefs

The Brothers of Charity are clear: no euthanasia is possible in our hospitals

September 17, 2017 CNA Daily News 2

Brussels, Belgium, Sep 17, 2017 / 06:01 am (Church Pop).- Br. René Stockman says it clearly: the path to euthanasia is not viable for a Catholic hospital.

After a board of trustees decision to allow euthanasia in Belgian hospitals sponsored by the Brothers of Charity, the community’s general superior spoke with CNA about the issues at stake, and the possibility that the Brothers of Charity might discontinue sponsoring hospitals if things do not change.

The Congregation of the Brothers of Charity is a religious community of brothers founded in Belgium in 1807, with the mission to care for the poor, elderly and those affected by psychiatric diseases.

“It was immediately clear to our founder, Fr. Pierre Joseph Triest, that there was the need to combine the contemplative life of religious orders with a professional work on charity. But we are not social workers, though we work in professional ways. Mostly, through our social activity we help people to see how God shine in their lives.”

Pioneers in the field of psychiatric care, the Brothers of Charity are active in many part of the world. In Belgium, they sponsor 15 hospitals and care for about 5,000 patients.

The hospitals are managed by a civil corporation named after the Brothers of Charity, though the board of trustees includes only 3 Brothers of Charity out of 15 members.

This board made the decision to allow Catholic hospitals to permit acts of  euthanasia, in certain limited circumstances. The Brothers of Charity protested this decision, appealed to the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, and the Vatican responded by requesting that the corporation stop allowing euthanasia in their hospitals.

The board of trustees defied the Vatican request, and published a long statement in which they reiterated their view.

Br. Stockman explained to CNA that “the next step is a meeting with the authorities of the Vatican during the week of Sep. 25. We will then make our decisions in accordance with the vision of the Vatican.”

Asked if the Brothers of Charity could withdraw their sponsorship from the hospital, Br. Stockam said that “if there no change in the policies, it is a possibility.” If the 3 members of the organization leave the board of the hospital, it will no longer be considered a Catholic hospital.  

In their statement, the hospital board of trustees lamented the lack of dialogue and stressed they will “continue with the request of establishing a dialogue,” though they do not want in any way change their decision.

Br. Stockman commented that “there is only a request to dialogue on the way to implement euthanasia, and not on the fact of euthanasia as such.  I asked very clearly many times to first dialogue on euthanasia and the vision as such, in the hope coming to a consensus, but they refused to change their initial vision”.

The civil board has claimed that their decision is “consistent” with the doctrine of the Church, since “the text has come about starting from the Christian frame of thought as we apply it within the organization. In this, we always take into account the shifts and evolutions within society. We have considered the following elements: recognition of the exceptional, proportional view of ethics, deontological view and ideologization, and choice of conscience”.

This view is completely rejected by Br. Stockman. “This is totally wrong and against the doctrine of the Church,” he underscored.

He then explained: “The whole issue starts with the refusal to see the respect of life still as absolute. For them, it became fundamental, on the same level as the autonomy of the patient and the relation in the care.  Therefore we cannot accept their statement. They take distance of the doctrine of the Church.”

Hermann van Rompuy, a former Belgian prime minister who is a part of the board of trustees, said that “the times when the Pope had the last word are far away.”

Brother Stockman explained to CNA that the Brothers of Charity appealed to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith because the civil board of trustees “refused both our request and also the one of the Belgian bishops” to change their policies, and so “we had to appeal to the Holy See.”

The Holy See,  Br. Stockman recounted, “asked the hospitals to conform themselves with the doctrine of the Church about the absolute respect for life and not doing euthanasia to psychiatric patients.  After our request as general superior and council and after the statement of the Belgian Bishops, the civil corporation governing our hospitals in Belgium refused to adapt their vision.”

Br. Stockman affirmed that the Brothers of Charity would remain faithful to the Church’s teaching, despite serious civil pressure to the contrary.

“I am sure,” he said, “that the great majority of the brothers, also in Belgium, are against euthanasia, but the pressure on them is very high.  We have clear guidelines against euthanasia, that we developed already before this case.”

 

[…]

22 Comments

  1. The ZdK’s what’shername says that Cardinal Woelke’s action is “beyond incomprehensible.” Well, he/she/it at least got that right. What is beyond comprehensible IS comprehensible!

    Butt, what is really “incomprehensible” is why der Synodal Weg was awarded seats at the Vatican Synod (!) in Rome, when the Vatican previously identified der Synodal Weg as a “non-synod.” Also incomprehensible is how the underlying (and lying?) abuse in Germany is the mixed voting structure (a “backwardist” echo of France’s 1789 Tennis Court Oath!)–and how this capitulation became a template for the expanded Synod (now non-synod?) in Rome.

    Reply

    • The archbishop of Cologne is “beyond incomprehensible”…such a robotic comment echoes the days immediately following German liberation (World War II):

      When Dr. Konrad Adenauer again had been made mayor of (the same) Cologne, British leftists ejected him from his office under the (written) pretext that he (incomprehensibly!) “lacked the qualifications to run a city as large as Cologne” (von Kuenelt-Leddhin, “Leftism: From de Sade and Marx to Hitler and Marcuse,” 1974, p 325).

      Adenauer soon became chancellor of a West Germany (1949-1963) restored as a valued member of the civilized world.

      Adenauer also is remembered for this prophecy about today: “In view of the fact that God limited the intelligence of man, it seems unfair that He did not also limit his stupidity.”

      What has happened now within the Church in Germany–except for Cologne and a few other pockets of functional memory? And, might history sort of repeat itself? “God is full of surprises!”

      Reply

        • No, your assumption is a myth of leftist renditions of false history, a lie repeated by intellectuals to exonerate the left of its biggest sin. The left is rooted in the moral nihilism that gave rise to Naziism as well as all totalitarian states and, as the Church in Germany proves, Germany has never fully removed itself from moral nihilism post Naziism. Anti-Christianity merely morphs into different socially acceptable forms. And the moral nihilism of liberal democracies are too corrupt with their own depravities to have ever noticed.

          Reply

        • Antifa and the summer of 2020.

          No, the Left ‘owns’ Hitler. Ceded by poseurs who were taken aback by the violence.

          The Church can no more ‘bless’ sodomy that it can deny Christ.

          Reply

          • Its not what’s in the spelling, darling. Nor in the acronym. Its what the group represents in reality.The Nazi’s were totalitarians, no matter what initials you give them.

        • Hitler’s Germany is almost a hybrid accident of history, all pointing to his inevitable rise on the shoulders of Luther’s individualism (a central aspect of sola Scriptura versus Tradition which includes the writing of scripture). Disintegrating individualism seeks a magnet. I quote from one of von Kuenelt-Leddhin’s earlier pieces (“Liberty OR Equality,” 1952, 394 pages with 990 fine-print footnotes). He concludes a later chapter in italics:

          “It is the combination [!] of the degenerative process of Protestantism with Catholic absolutism and extremism [meaning absolutes] which became such a dangerous mixture [in Germany]” (p. 232). Perfect tinder for the rise of the Hitler messiah. Railing in part, it is true, against the crushing burden of reparations under the Versailles Treaty (which all parties were willing to review, except decimated France which, itself, in order to keep from going under, needed the resource shipments of the Ruhr Valley).

          The above quote/finding is preceded by a fascinating figure delineating the “Genealogy of National Socialism.” It looks like a pinball machine with Waldo, Morsiglio, Wycliffe, the Hussites and Lollards at the very top, then mostly centering on Luther, and then a cobweb of interacting influences—finally nine vertical lines all converging on National Socialism. Near the middle, Calvin/Knox/Anglicanism drops off the chart, as does modern capitalism (but interactive Marxism proceeds through Socialism/Communism, and filters into National Socialism, alongside radical democracy the French Revolution. But largely Luther—in tinder box Germany.

          Statistically, the author also displays supporting maps, very detailed voting districts, of the religious (Protestant and Catholic) distribution and voting results in 1932 and 1934. Nazi predominance and Catholic concentrations (primarily Bavaria in the south and very Western Germany) are inverse of each other. The concentration of Communist votes is also least in Bavaria (which incidentally was the homeland of Pope Benedict XVI).

          Many pointy-headed academicians are anesthetized by mutually favorable peer reviews, and therefore are too often clueless about the deeper and spiritual currents of history. The Land O’Lakes Declaration illustrates.

          Reply

          • I agree that Erik Von Kuenelt-Leddhin was more than an astute historian and political philosopher. And the young, indoctrinated into simplistic notions of a political spectrum designed to keep them from understanding the origins of evil, would do well to accomplish an effective quick path to a truthful understanding of history after reading his book “Leftism.”

  2. For 2,000 years the Catholic Church followed Christ to say sodomy is sinful. If Synods of People now try to “bless” sin by calling sin “love,” it’s illogical to think a serious minded same-sex couple would trust the Church. Inventing a ritual that violates Sacred Scripture and Tradition today would not prevent that Church from changing their mind again.

    This has always been about an angry power grab. It’s purpose is suicidal.

    Reply

    • Unfortunately, there is little resolve to fight back against the tide of deconstructing the Church illustrating how paper thin the faith has been in the lives of millions. When a pope repeatedly insists that mercy mercy mercy can be construed exclusively in terms of exonerating sinners from guilt while mercilessly ignoring the victims of sin, exactly like the wacko liberal “moral theologians” of the silly seventies “rethinking” moral precepts, and many Catholics are more willing to get hostile towards those who say moral relativism is wrong because it is an offense to God and humanity than say the Pope is wrong, we know the spirit of Luther and the reality of Satan are alive and active throughout our Church.

      Reply

      • The GAY Lobbyist will never stop, it is what they do. Gays will not be good Catholics period. Forcing acceptance allows them another achievement to avoid recognition of their sins. In American we have been forced to accept and now being forced to accept children as gay. Children need crossing guards to cross the road but some how they are capable of claiming homosexuality. Rampant sexual diseases can’t even stop them. Catholic Church is the last challenge, so they’re putting everything they have into changing the faith. It will then be rolled out worldwide. The Pope needs strength to see the big picture and how they are using Germany. Pray for the Pope that he can see through this game and the sinful nature of these people.

        Reply

    • Poor thin Cardinal Woelki and maybe a couple other guys pulling at the rope for orthodox practice. They have no chance in a tug of war versus all those enormous prelates on the sodomy side. Just think of Cardinal Marx at the rear with the rope around his Eminence, digging in for all the friends he has “blessed.” It’s not very sporting.

      Reply

  3. What do all these things have in common?
    – Paschale the Anti-pope.
    – Martin Luther
    – WWI
    – WWII
    – V II (inculcating the “spirit” of the Council)
    – Klaus Schwab
    – The massive influx of Syrian Refugees across Europe

    Give up?? (By #2 above, you should have known. Feel free to add to my list.)

    Reply

    • As a devout Catholic of mixed German-Austrian ethnicity, I get your point. I earlier replied to this idea with reference to Roger Scruton’s (British philosopher and commenter on moral culture) concern about Germany and her people. He considered the nation had not effectively mourned their loss nor acknowledged or recompensed its past moral failures.

      OTOH, ought we neglect the good people and God-given blessings from Germany? Think of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (who died at Auschwitz), St. Hildegard of Bingen, St. Bruno (founder of Carthusian order), Albert Magnus (teacher of St. Aquinas)!

      Many good inventors and scientists (e.g., Einstein) were of German origin. German manufactured goods are usually of long-lasting quality (cf. goods from China). The great orthodox Catholic philosopher von Hildebrand and preacher Bonhoeffer spoke courageously against crimes and moral degradation of Naziism, at great personal loss. Think of the greatness of Beethoven’s art.

      VCII did not go awry simply because of Germany! Rome had influence too! Paul VI hailed from Italy as did John XXIII. And Bugnini.

      Reply

  4. Thank God the Holy Spirit has retired because of His Long Age and exhaustion and has passed the legacy of its Gifts and His Wisdom and Love to several German women and her ampulous priests friends. I was concerned about the transition but now I see that the Holy Church can be at ease and in peace. These folks know better than anybody else what the Church needs to do to lose every single faithful on Earth at speedlight and to turn Jesuschrist’s eternal words into fluffy slogans.

    Reply

  5. Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki is a remarkable standout in the Catholic Church; he resists the Vatican, as well as the most radical Leftist national Catholic majority in the world. It seems His Holiness fears him, since he had been accused of unproved allegations of mishandling clerical abuse and remained defiant claiming innocence. Many others might have buckled.
    We may see in Woelki, Strickland, certainly Vigano, perhaps Cordileone to name a few who will form a proactive counter movement to the irresistible tide of error fomenting from the Vatican in the guise of enlightenment. The real deal on Christ’s true nature. As if, as Card Walter Kasper has articulated his ideations, Jesus now has misgivings on the efficacy of the crucifixion. Has changed his mind. And is in agreement with His Holiness’ doctrine. The one fervently protected by his personally appointed defender of the faith, DDF perfect Card Víctor Fernández. Looks like rough sailing ahead. I’ve always loved storms.

    Reply

  6. Feasts Sts Cosmas and Damien, twin martyr physicians who would have looked at those who persecuted them with the eyes and heart of The Lord , pleading -‘ Lord deliver them from the demonic powers , generational spirits …to turn to You with trust and gratitude for being forgiven ,for the price You paid for same, we too love and forgive them with Your Love and mercy ..’ -good Patrons for those who have become blinded to trust that The Lord can bring deliverance and healing , in bringing wounded occasions unto The Mother to be united with her sorrows , for the Holy Spirit Love to be poured forth , unto generational lines too that often succumbed to carnal kingdoms of lusts and power , also accept the Fatherly blessing of the Holy Father that he/ The Church does not judge any one as being beyond God’s grace and mercy to live in holiness and chastity , its joy and peace ..for here and hereafter .
    More of the access and awareness of the Divine Will teachings too possibly a powerful antidote ..

    Reply

  7. Why has this ‘situation’ been permitted to go on for so long? We all know that the blessing of same-sex unions will never be permitted. Why have those who have promoted this in the Church, not been silenced? What about the sin of scandal?

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

All comments posted at Catholic World Report are moderated. While vigorous debate is welcome and encouraged, please note that in the interest of maintaining a civilized and helpful level of discussion, comments containing obscene language or personal attacks—or those that are deemed by the editors to be needlessly combative or inflammatory—will not be published. Thank you.


*