Bishop Georg Bätzing has told reporters that the German bishops’ conference will proceed with the formation of a Synodal Council, despite clear opposition from the Vatican.
Bishop Bätzing, the president of the episcopal conference, said that the Synodal Council—composed of bishops and lay people, and tasked with setting policies for the Church in Germany—would be formed this month.
In a terse letter to three leading Vatican cardinal, the German bishops’ leader did not directly address the Vatican’s warning that the proposed Council would violate the proper authority of diocesan bishops. Instead he said that the German bishops would be happy to meet with Vatican officials to “clarify” the role of the new group as it develops.
The letter from Bishop Bätzing was addressed to Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State; Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops; and Cardinal Luis Ladaria, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
U.S. Bishops to consecrate the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will gather for the 2026 Spring Plenary Assembly in Orlando, Florida, June 10-12. In celebration of the
