Cardinal Koch: Europe's Church needs a spiritual vitamin injection

Europe must find its new place in the global church, says the Swiss Curia Cardinal Kurt Koch. In the magazine "Communio" (Monday), he explained that the end of Eurocentrism in the Catholic world church leads to challenges, but also opportunities: "In earlier centuries, the Church in Europe made many contributions to the world church by sending people and establishing ecclesiastical organisations." He added: "Today, as Christianity in Europe has become weary of faith and weak, it is dependent on spiritual vitamin injections from the universal Church, which it must accept with humility and gratitude."

With regard to the working document for the Synod on Synodality in the Vatican, Koch said that a distinction must be made with regard to the "toxic forms of clericalism" mentioned there: While the clergy have an important mission to fulfil in the Church, clericalism is an abuse of the mission entrusted to the clergy. The cardinal said verbatim: "It should not be concealed that 'clericalism' is a primal temptation and can also be found in the laity." With regard to the role of women in the Church, he stated that one cannot assume that "the appropriate place and mission of women in the Church have already been satisfactorily found today". Both topics continue to require solid and sensitive counselling.

Koch: fulfil leadership responsibilities in accordance with the Gospel

Participants in the reform process Synodal Way of the Catholic Church in Germany had argued in favour of binding episcopal leadership authority to majority decisions of mixed synodal committees by means of voluntary commitments. Koch explained that this is a problematic way of thinking that is incompatible with the Catholic understanding of the Church: "A bishop cannot dispense himself from the voluntary commitment he made when he was ordained."

However, a bishop must fulfil his leadership responsibility in such a way that it is lived in accordance with the Gospel and in the service of the local church entrusted to the bishop. Koch added: "This also includes transparency and accountability." After all, the Church is a community of faith that is organised both hierarchically and synodally. Special attention should be paid to "concurrence" in the synodal deliberations. (KNA)