Vatican still reviewing statutes of Germany's new Synodal Conference
Bishop Heiner Wilmer, president of the German Bishops' Conference, said Roman authorities are still examining the statutes of the new Synodal Conference and that its first meeting is unlikely to take place in November as planned
The president of the German Bishops' Conference, Bishop Heiner Wilmer, has confirmed that the statutes of Germany's new Synodal Conference are still being examined by Roman authorities. The body, made up of both bishops and lay people, is intended to carry out the German Synodal Way.
In an interview, Wilmer said "the statutes are currently under review in Rome" and added that "it will still take some time." He said he was confident the process would move forward, but he does not expect the first meeting to be held in November as originally planned, given the complexity of the matter.
The inaugural meeting had been scheduled for November 6 and 7 in Stuttgart, with the following session set for April 16 and 17, 2027, in Würzburg. The statutes have been under review at the Vatican since late March.
Disagreement over joint decision-making
One of the most disputed points in the statutes is joint deliberation and decision-making by diocesan bishops and lay people, which the Vatican has resisted in recent years. Under the statutes, the Synodal Conference would "deliberate and take decisions in the spirit of synodal decision-making processes" on major questions of Church life that go beyond a single diocese.
Despite criticism of the Synodal Way, the Vatican, under Pope Francis and now under Pope Leo XIV, has not formally demanded an end to the process, which seeks major changes to the Church's traditional teaching.
Bishops withdraw from the process
Three serving diocesan bishops, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne, Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau and Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg, have withdrawn from the Synodal Way after clear warnings from Vatican authorities. If the Vatican approves the statutes, the three could join the committee.
Oster had said he intended to follow the direction of the universal Church. "If we do this in agreement with the universal Church, then I will take part," he said. Despite the uncertainty, he said he was confident and added that "the process has been under way for more than two years. A sense of reciprocity has developed."
