At the heart of this tension, the German Church is putting pressure on the new Pope by pursuing the creation of its Synodal Council, a project that is causing concern.
The banks of the Rhine seem calm in the spring of 2025, as a new successor of Peter has just taken the reins of the Church. It only an apparent calm, because the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost to the sovereign pontificate does not necessarily benefit the German episcopate, largely determined to follow through with its synodal delusions.
Because the arrival of the new Pope seems to arouse a mixture of hope and questions among German reformers. Leo XIV, former Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, embodies a figure of openness. His first address to the cardinals reaffirmed a commitment in principle to synodality—without venturing into further details.
The German prelates see this as an implicit validation of their aspirations. Georg Bätzing, Bishop of Limburg and President of the German Bishops' Conference, expressed his optimism.
However, nuances emerge in Leo XIV's stance. As a cardinal, Robert Francis Prevost co-signed a letter in February 2024 warning the German bishops of the lack of canonical authority for their synodal project. This stance reveals a caution that contrasts with the reformers' enthusiasm.
In a recent statement, Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen described the Pope as "reserved" regarding German reforms, while Bishop Norbert Strotmann—who knew the current Pope well in Peru—expressed doubts about the upcoming approval of the German Synodal Council. He emphasized the importance for Pope Leo XIV of preserving the unity of the universal Church.
Here is a brief overview of the situation between Rome and the German Synodal Path.
The formation of a Synodal Committee with a view to establishing a Synodal Council
In a document entitled "Sustainably Strengthening Synodality: A Synodal Council for the Catholic Church in Germany," adopted on September 10, 2022, at the 4th Assembly of the Synodal Path (SC), it was decided to create a national "Synodal Council" composed of bishops and lay people.
The latter is described as an "advisory and decision-making body" that "deliberates on essential developments in the Church and society, and makes decisions of principle, of supra-diocesan importance, on pastoral planning, future issues, and budgetary matters of the Church that are not taken at the diocesan level."
Such a Council has been rejected by Rome: by the Curia during the ad limina visit of the German bishops in November 2022; then in a letter from three cardinals dated January 16, 2023, addressed to the German episcopate, by the Apostolic Nuncio to Germany on the occasion of the meeting of the German episcopate in Fulda in early September 2023, and by a private letter from Francis.
The body responsible for establishing this Council is the Synodal Committee, provided for in the texts of the SC to implement synodal decisions. This committee was established despite some setbacks. In a letter addressed to the German bishops in February 2024, Cardinals Pietro Parolin, Manuel Fernandez, and Robert Prevost requested that the Statutes of the Synodal Committee not be voted on.
The reasons: "a dialogue already underway" to be continued in the near future; and the fact that the Committee's Statutes "provide as their first task the establishment of a Synodal Council," which "is not provided for by current canon law, and a decision by the DBK on this matter would be invalid – with the resulting legal consequences."
The text recalls the discussions during the ad limina visit and the letter of January 16, 2023, which expressly requested that they "not pursue the establishment of such a Council." Approval of the Statutes would be in contradiction "with the instructions" of the Holy See. A meeting had been scheduled for October 2023 to "deepen the ecclesiological questions addressed by the Synodal Path."
Rome accepts the establishment of the Synodal Committee
During a meeting in Rome on March 22, 2024 the foollowing happened: "It was agreed to have a regular exchange between representatives of the German Bishops' Conference and the Holy See on the continuation of the work of the Synodal Path and the Synodal Committee." This means that the Curia had accepted the formation of the famous Synodal Committee, even though it had previously been banned. But under what conditions?
The only information provided was that "the German bishops have committed themselves to ensuring that this work serves to develop concrete forms of synodality in the Church in Germany, in accordance with the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council, the prescriptions of canon law, and the results of the World Synod, which will then be submitted to the Holy See for approval."
Concretely, the Church in Germany could continue its synodal work, provided it respected the ecclesiology of Vatican II and current canon law. The Synodal Path was therefore able to elect its Synodal Committee to continue its work. Two meetings have taken place to date.
New Progress During the Vacancy of the Holy See
During the recent vacancy of the Apostolic See, the Church in Germany published a new document on blessings for same-sex couples, going beyond the already scandalous assertions of the 2023 Declaration Fiducia Suplicans. This initiative illustrates the growing autonomy of the German Church, which is ready to move forward without waiting for the explicit approval of the Holy See.
This attitude, which makes up part of the German Church's strategy, places the Pope in a delicate position. The Germans want to believe that the new Pontiff, perceived as a potential ally, will give in to their demands or, at the very least, let them do so. This pressure, both implicit and explicit, puts to the test the ability of the Roman Pontiff to navigate between reform and tradition as he sees fit.
One thing is certain: Leo XIV's reaction will shape the future of synodality in Germany and, by extension, of the universal Church. Suffice to say, the Catholic world is holding its breath, waiting to see how Peter's successor will chart the course.