Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich then proceeds to slam conservative Catholics.
In two weeks, the Roman meeting of the Synod of Bishops will begin. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich is one of its organisers. In an interview, he explains what it will be about – and what it will not be about. Although there are some “hot potatoes” on the agenda, it should actually be about other things, he says.
In two weeks, the Roman meeting of the Synod of Bishops will begin. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich is one of its organisers. In an interview, he explains what it will be about – and what it will not be about. Although there are some “hot potatoes” on the agenda, it should actually be about other things, he says.
“It’s not a synod about ordination of priests, ordination of deacons of women. It is not a synod on homosexuality. It’s a synod on synodality,” says Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich. He is the General Relator of the World Synod and thus also responsible for sorting out the themes of the event. In this interview, the Archbishop of Luxembourg talks about the next weeks in Rome, controversial issues in the European Church and his assessment of the Catholic Church in Germany.
Question: The big meeting of the World Synod starts in Rome on 4 October. It has never been held in this form before. Experts speak of the largest co-determination process in world history. Why do we need such a new form of synod now?
Jean-Claude Cardinal Hollerich (Archbishop of Luxembourg and General Relator of the World Synod of Bishops): I believe that it is the Spirit of God that calls us to synodality. It is also given in the texts of Vatican II, in “Lumen gentium”. The synod is nothing new. It was instituted by Paul VI, and Paul VI already said that it is an instrument that can be further developed. This further development has taken place with Pope Francis.
Question: We have already seen some of this in the last Synods.
Hollerich: The Synod corresponds to the collegiality of the bishops in “Lumen gentium” – after the Second Vatican Council, who advise the Pope. In “Lumen Gentium” there is also the general priesthood of the laity, the role of the baptised as the people of God. This now flows more into synodality.
This does not mean that the bishops are no longer bishops. The bishops still have the full responsibility of bishops. The laity are not bishops, but one is a bishop among the people of God and belongs to the people of God oneself. One has the mandate to lead the people of God. That is not possible if I do not know, love and appreciate the People of God. As the Pope said, if I do not have the “smell of the stable”.
That’s where synodality is an opportunity. I also believe that it is quite providential (preordained) that we are dealing with this at this time. This is the time of great polarisation, not only in the church. We see it in politics as well.
This morning I saw on the news how strong a party like the AfD has become in Germany and how other parties like the SPD are weakening. I see how a party like the CDU, if I now call the two people’s parties, does not benefit from the weakness of the government. That’s where the extremes come up.
The same in France: we have Marine Le Pen on one side, Mélenchon on the other. The extremes are becoming very strong, polarisation is taking place throughout society. In fact, society, i.e. modern democracy, should be talking about how we can live democracy in the future in these new times. Democracy in Germany has, I believe, been very much based on the educated middle classes. And that is in the process of disappearing and crumbling away. The consequences of this are not yet clear to us all.
The Church has functioned very differently in different times. Church history teaches us that. A pure top-down church no longer works today. There must be a “from the bottom up” and a “from the top down”. Both must be dynamically intertwined. The shepherds must listen to the people of God. The people of God must also respect the decisions of the shepherds. Only together can we as the people of God move through our time into the future. I believe that as a Church we are perhaps even better placed than the state.
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