Pope Francis clearly has little regard for Germany's Synodal Path (SP) and does not intend for the three-year series of conferences undertaken by the Catholic Church in the country to be repeated. He demonstrated this sentiment through two forceful letters.
The first was in November, when he personally responded to four theologians who voiced their opposition to the SP.
In the letter, Francis stated that the SP's synodal committee "is not in alignment with the sacramental structure of the Catholic Church".
The second was a February 17 letter that three top Vatican officials – Cardinals Victor Manuel Fernandez, Robert Francis Prevost and Pietro Parolin – sent to the German Bishops' Conference (DBK) in the pope's name and with his approval.
The letter was issued just a day before the DBK was to begin its plenary assembly. It instructed the conference not to validate the statutes of the synodal committee and expressed concern over the SP's plan to establish a permanent "synodal council".
Faced with such admonitions, the DBK could only comply. But the German bishops also expressed regret that meetings scheduled last year to clarify the Vatican's concerns had not taken place despite their repeated requests.
An obscure quarrel
To external observers, including the German laity, the obscurity of this dispute is questionable.
The fruits of the SP itself are not at issue, since the numerous decisions it has made regarding the internal functioning of the Church in Germany fall within the framework of existing ecclesiastical law.
Nor are the issues proposed by the SP in question. Under the leadership of DBK chairman, Bishop Georg Bätzing, the issues discussed by the SP were included in the synthesis document of October 2023, which concluded the first phase of the global Synod assembly on synodality.
During the preparatory phases for this assembly, the German bishops themselves never showed any pretensions of innovation. Have we not seen Cardinal Fernandez, one of the critics of the SP, share its motivations and signal approval for pastoral blessings of "irregular" couples?
Nevertheless, the ire from the Vatican is real, and reflects their profound concern over the German bishops' actions.
The difficulty may lie in differing conceptions that Rome and the Germans have of bishops' decision-making autonomy (it should be pointed out that a minority in the German Church shares the Vatican's concerns).
The German method of consultation between bishops and laity is legalistic, and aims for transparency, predictability, consideration for all voices, and voting results determined by majorities.
Even if these votes do not constrain each bishop individually, they reveal trends of the Church that exert pressure on dissenting bishops to explain and defend their views.
From the laity's perspective, this process has the merit of giving them a say, of exercising the "differentiated co-responsibility" between clergy and laity, which next October's second phase of Synod assembly on synodality has made a priority.
The "spiritual conversation" approach implemented by the Synod secretariat in Rome involves no publicity; it organizes mutual listening sessions but not the presentation of arguments; and it emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit in hearts. All subjects are on the table and the diversity of sensitivities in a globalized Church can be expressed.
Here, the process takes precedence over results, even if it disappoints those who hope for rapid doctrinal development or changes in the exercise of clerical power.
Episcopal authority
The issue of the conditions for exercising episcopal authority is central to the ongoing dispute between Rome and the majority of the German bishops.
This is evident in Bishop Bätzing's assertion that the DBK did not call episcopal authority into question by engaging in the SP, according to a February 22 statement.
On the contrary, he states that this authority was severely challenged by the abuse crisis, and it is therefore necessary to restore its credibility through a more open and responsible mode of exercising that authority.
What the DBK chairman is aiming for is authority in the sense of auctoritas, whereas Rome probably thinks in terms of potestas.
As we can see, the stakes are significant and directly connected to the fight against clericalism that the pope signaled out in his "Letter to the People of God" in August 2018.
But Francis intends to regulate this very delicate balance himself, without acknowledging the prudence with which the DBK has acted so far.
The latter finds itself caught between the Vatican's pressure and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZDK), the organization that represents the laity.
Irme Stetter-Karp, the ZDK president, is trying to maintain the integrity of the SP process as a permanent way of ensuring co-responsibility and even shared decision-making in the Church.
There are certainly possible ways out of this deadlock, which can be achieved in a less legalistic but equally transparent cooperation between clergy and laity.
Will the pope and the German laity understand each other? We must hope so, if the goal of the Synod on synodality is to pave the way for certain regional differentiations of synodality.
Cardinal Fernandez's invitation to the German bishops to meet with members of the Roman Curia on March 22 will hopefully enable a real dialogue – and prevent the DBK from being forced to contradict the German laity.