Stetter-Karp: Pope's decision on final text is a "small sensation"

In the view of the President of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), Irme Stetter-Karp, the Pope's approval of the final document of the World Synod is a "minor sensation". "By dispensing with a post-synodal letter, it gives the World Synod great significance in the synodal process. Its resolutions are to be implemented directly in the global church," explained Stetter-Karp on Sunday in Berlin. The Catholic Church's largest round of consultations in decades, which lasted several years, came to an end at the weekend.

"However, it is still clear to see that this World Synod was also a synod of bishops," emphasised Stetter-Karp. The participation of lay people, i.e. non-ordained persons, had changed the culture of dialogue and strengthened the diversity of the world. "But it did not go so far as to derive a consistent equality of the sexes from the inalienable dignity of every human being." It is therefore not surprising that there were many dissenting voices to the wording of the final document on this issue.

Stetter-Karp continues to see open discrimination

Stetter-Karp spoke of a "still unchanged anthropology of the church, which values women for their motherliness, their ability to suffer and their warm-heartedness, but not for their ability to lead, to make decisions and to hold ecclesiastical ordained positions". Apparently, there is not enough will to put an end to open discrimination. ZdK Vice President Thomas Söding pointed out that the final document also states that there is no reason why women should not take on "leading roles in the church". It was to the credit of the Synod that the question of the ordination of female deacons had been kept open.

Stetter-Karp recalled the beginning of the Synodal Path reform dialogue in Germany: "The horror of the abuse scandal was the trigger for joint consultations and resolutions. We see it as our duty in this country to also look at the structures of the church. They are one of the reasons why abuse of power, sexual violence and cover-ups were able to go on for so long. At the World Synod, however, this topic was hardly scrutinised at all."

Victims of abuse criticise synodal process

The group "We are Church" sees a "turning point in the history of the church". However, it has not succeeded in resolving a "clear contradiction between the original Christian message of the equality of all believers" and a "dogmatically entrenched ecclesiastical power structure". From now on, the people of the church at the respective levels must be responsibly involved in all key decisions and the processing of abuse and prevention of sexualised violence must be made a top priority everywhere.

The "Eckiger Tisch" initiative of those affected by abuse complained that the victims had by no means been placed at the centre of the process. "It is therefore all the more important that those affected continue to become visible, network and maintain and increase the pressure on the church." The Federation of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ) criticised, among other things, that hardly any young people had participated directly in the deliberations of the World Synod. (rom/KNA)