Catholics around the world have expressed disapproval over the direction of the German Church’s controversial “synodal way”, according to a study conducted on behalf of the German bishops themselves.
Nearly 600 people from 67 countries were invited to give their opinions on a process criticised for attempting to subvert Catholic doctrine and practice.
Only a minority of the respondents, 90 per cent of whom were Catholics, showed any support for changes to the rule on priestly celibacy, for the ordination of women and for a change in teaching on homosexual sexual practices.
A total of 44 per cent supported the abolition of the discipline of priestly celibacy, 42 per cent were in favour of the ordination of women to the diaconate and the priesthood and fewer than 38 per cent of people answering the survey agreed with the assertion that “the Catholic Church should reassess its stance on homosexuality”.
A two thirds majority agreed, however, with the statement that “shared participation of lay and clergy in the mission of the Church helps in proclaiming the message”.
All of the respondents were drawn from people who were existing or former beneficiaries of scholarships in Germany.
According to researchers, sharp differences of opinion emerged between Catholics in Africa and Latin America and those in the developed countries in the West, particularly over issues of sexuality.
Many of the former strongly held the traditional teaching of the Church that sexual activity belongs within the context of marriage between a man and a woman.
The lack of support for the objectives of the synod within a small international cohort of lay people represents the latest blow to the authors and supporters of the project, which has already faced more than a year of continuous criticism from cardinals, bishops and priests from all over the world.
Recent interventions included reports prepared by high-ranking Vatican cardinals which condemned the Synodal Path at the end of the ad limina four-yearly visit to Rome by the German bishops last month.
Spanish Jesuit Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer, the prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, denounced the Church “from the outset as a structurally abusive organisation, which must be brought under the control of supervisors as soon as possible”.
Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Prefect of the Congregation of Bishop for Bishops, said in his report that the proposals of the Synodal Way raised “serious difficulties from an anthropological, pastoral, and ecclesiological point of view”
“It is difficult to avoid the impression that the extremely serious matter of the abuse cases has been exploited to push through other ideas not directly related to it,” he said, adding that the German Church appeared to be “distancing itself from the Magisterium”.
In response to the criticism Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, the president of the German Bishops’ Conference, hinted at the determination of the German Church to push ahead with reforms even at the risk of schism.
He said supporters of the Synodal Path wanted to remain Catholic “but we want to be Catholic in a different way”.
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