They have chosen to withdraw from the Synodal Committee tasked with establishing a new national body bringing together bishops and lay people on an equal footing, in defiance of the Divine Constitution of the Church.
This is a way of highlighting the schismatic excesses of the German Synod.
The decision, taken by Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki (Cologne), Bishop Gregor Maria Hanke (Eichstätt), Bishop Stefan Oster (Passau), and Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer (Regensburg), highlights the current fractures in German Catholicism.
In a letter dated May 19, 2025, to Bishop Georg Bätzing, President of the German Bishops' Conference (DBK), and Irme Stetter-Karp, President of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), the four prelates clearly expressed their refusal to recognize the authority of the Synodal Committee or their membership in it. "We are neither ex officio members nor promoters of this Committee," they stated unequivocally.
This stance is part of a long-standing controversy surrounding the German Synodal Path. Initiated in 2019 under the pretext of the abuse scandals that rocked the German Church, this process aimed to rethink ecclesial structures, reexamine the exercise of authority, and open debate on issues already largely settled by Tradition: the role of women in the Church, priestly celibacy, sexual morality, and lay participation in governance.
While these proposals garnered broad support over the course of the five synodal assemblies, they also aroused marked opposition, both within the German episcopate and the Vatican. As early as 2023, Rome had warned German prelates, denying them the power to establish a national body comprised of lay people and endowed with deliberative powers.
On June 28, 2024, during a meeting of the German bishops with the Curia, the cardinals requested that "the name and various aspects of the current plan for a possible national synodal body be changed." In other words, this body will not be able to be called the national "Synodal Council." The other "various aspects" were not further specified.
Despite these warnings, the synodal process has continued to move forward, but it now faces an obstacle: the lack of episcopal consensus. The withdrawal of the four bishops presents a new difficulty. Although the opposition of these four bishops has long been known, their action calls into question the legitimacy and credibility of the synodal process.
The four bishops also criticize its fundamental orientation. In their letter, they call for a primarily symbolic synodality, centered on the Eucharist as the source and summit of ecclesial life. This vision, which prioritizes the spiritual dimension over structural reforms, reflects a profound divergence from the direction taken by the majority of the DBK and ZdK.
This move also highlights the tensions between the German Church and the Vatican. Although very (too) late, Rome has issued a warning, fearing that the proposed reforms might exceed the authority of the bishops or deviate from Catholic doctrine. The Vatican wishes to avoid any impression of creating a parallel structure that could compete with episcopal authority.
Yet, despite these warnings, a section of the German episcopate and laity continues to push for ambitious changes, convinced that the Church must adapt to contemporary realities to remain relevant, at the risk of diluting itself.
The decision of the four bishops comes in a particular context, marked by the recent election of Pope Leo XIV. Before his accession to the sovereign pontificate, the latter, then Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops (2023-2025) and closely followed the tensions surrounding the German synodal process.
While the new Pope has not yet taken a public position on the issue, his calls for unity and his various speeches may give hope for a willingness to allow the German Church to remain consistent with ecclesiastical traditions in terms of governance.
This thorny issue seriously risks becoming a trial by fire for the 266th successor of the Apostle Saint Peter as head of the universal Church.