The head of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) has handed over the statutes of a proposed “Synodal Conference,” a body that would enable Catholic laity to share in the bishops’ authority, to the Vatican for approval.
Bishop Heiner Wilmer submitted the statutes for a future Synodal Conference of the Catholic Church in Germany for recognition by the Vatican on Tuesday.
These statutes were first adopted by the General Assembly of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) and by the General Assembly of the German Bishops’ Conference.
The Synodal Conference was conceived as a continuation of the heretical Synodal Way that seeks to change Church doctrine. In the conference, bishops, other clergy, and laity will discuss and decide on ecclesiastical matters together. According to the statutes, the Synodal Conference will consist of the 27 diocesan bishops of Germany, 27 lay members of the ZdK, and 27 other Catholics (potentially clergy or laity) voted for by the Synodal Assembly.
This structure, which grants the laity authority in ecclesiastical matters, clearly violates the hierarchical and sacramental nature of the Catholic Church. Some conservative German bishops, like Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer, and Bishop Stefan Oster, have therefore decided not to participate in the Synodal Assemblies anymore.
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