Renovation procedure - The Bishop has faith in the potential for church reformation.
In spite of resistance in the Vatican, Catholic bishops in Germany still see a chance for change within their church. This includes the involvement of laypeople and the potential ordination of women as deacons, announced the chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Georg Bätzing, at the German Catholic Day in Erfurt last Thursday. The theme of resistance against the far-right party AfD was also a topic of discussion.
The 103rd German Catholic Day commenced on Wednesday evening and will continue until Sunday, with an expected turnout of at least 20,000 participants. Church reforms took center stage in conversations between Bishop Bätzing and the president of the Central Committee of German Catholics, Irme Stetter-Karp, which took place on Thursday afternoon.
Bätzing expressed his belief that women have the potential to become deacons within the Catholic Church. "But don't hold me to a specific timeline," he remarked. In a recent interview, Pope Francis stated that a Catholic girl would never have the opportunity to become a consecrated deacon. However, Bätzing clarified that he had a different understanding of the pope's words. Setting a hard deadline for women's ordination is not an option in Germany, Bätzing asserted, as it could lead to irreversible consequences. "We have experienced that 500 years ago," he added.
Stetter-Karp pushed for faster reforms, stating that the Catholic Church needs to be more appealing and attracting to believers. Following the sexual abuse scandal, trust in the church has been gravely damaged. According to Stetter-Karp, 96% of German Catholics are desperate for change and over half of them are frustrated with the lack of progress towards reforms through the Synodal Way process. "I likely wouldn't be a Christian, or could not call myself one, if I didn't believe in change," she remarked.
The Catholic Church's struggles with change were evident at a well-attended discussion on processing sexual violence within the church. Church lawyer Thomas Schüller criticized the lack of transparency in the work of the Independent Commission for Recognition Benefits (UKA) of the Bishops' Conference. The commission is in charge of the voluntary payments from the Catholic Church in Germany to victims of abuse.
The spokesperson for the "Round Table" initiative of abuse victims, Matthias Katsch, also voiced his concerns over the way the dioceses handle the UKA's financial arrangements. He argued that dioceses should contribute to a common fund instead of wealthier dioceses assisting poorer ones. The amount of compensation given to victims is not dictated by the financial capabilities of their respective dioceses.
Prime Minister of Thuringia, Bodo Ramelow (Left Party), voiced his support for the organizers' decision not to extend an invitation to the AfD during this event. "They frequently adopt a victim mentality," said Ramelow about the party's politicians. "They use every invitation for dialogue as a means to highlight their victimhood, and the Catholic Day obviously has no interest in engaging with them under these circumstances."
Bishop Ulrich Neymeyr of Erfurt defended the decision to exclude the AfD, highlighting their commitment to justice and peace. During the Mass for Corpus Christi, Neymeyr emphasized the need for such values both socially and politically.
The current political climate in other countries is also a pressing concern at this religious gathering. Human rights activist Irina Scherbakova is a guest at various events, sharing her insights about the situation in her home country and the dangers of a free society if people lose trust in reliable institutions.
The organizers are closely monitoring weather forecasts for the impending days. The German Weather Service in Erfurt predicts heavy rainfall and strong thunderstorms over the weekend. If necessary, open-air events may be cancelled or relocated. At present, no such changes have been made. Updates are being communicated to attendees via the Catholic Day app.
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