The launch of the Synodal Way, the history of which can be found on this site, immediately provoked reactions from Rome. But these rarely went beyond warnings or reprimands, leaving the process unimpeded to this day, and allowing the German episcopate, supported by lay people, to advance decisively along unorthodox paths.
To fully understand the issue of blessings for same-sex couples promoted by the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK), and Rome’s inability to change anything, it is necessary to trace its history within the context of the Synodal Way. The attitude of the Curia and the Pope can then be properly assessed.
The Synodal Path was launched in March 2019, following the DBK’s spring meeting in Lingen. This launch was carried out in collaboration with the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), which would play a leading role in advancing certain issues. As early as September 2019, the Roman Curia sharply criticized the draft statutes of the Synodal Path, but was unable to halt the process.
The criticisms focused on three points: 1) the intended end is illegitimate, because the subjects dealt with “cannot be the subject of resolutions and decisions of a particular Church”; 2) the Synodal Way is a special council that refuses to say its name (to avoid the rules governing such a council); 3) the composition of the Synodal Assembly is contrary to law, due to the parity between clergy and laity.
The president of the DBK at the time was Cardinal Reinhard Marx, a member of the special council of cardinals formed by Pope Francis. He casually dismissed the criticisms of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts, made at the request of Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and the mad machine was able to start up. – First retreat by the Curia.
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