German Synodal Way Reaches Critical Juncture with Final Assembly for Permanent Body

Final Assembly Convenes for Permanent Synodal Body

The Catholic Church in Germany is currently holding a pivotal assembly in Stuttgart from January 29-31, 2026, to elect members for its planned permanent synodal body. This gathering represents a crucial phase in the implementation of the reforms proposed by the German Synodal Way, which formally concluded its five plenary assemblies in Frankfurt on March 11, 2023. The Synodal Way, initiated in 2019 by the German Bishops' Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), aimed to address systemic issues within the Church following a devastating abuse crisis.

Far-Reaching Resolutions and Reforms

During its assemblies between 2020 and 2023, the German Synodal Way passed numerous resolutions that have been described as exceeding initial expectations. These included significant calls for change across various aspects of Church life. Key resolutions endorsed by participants include:

• Appeals for the ordination of women deacons.
• A re-examination of priestly celibacy.
• Allowing lay preaching at Masses.
• A larger role for the laity in the selection of bishops.
• A revision of the Catechism of the Catholic Church concerning homosexuality.
• The blessing of same-sex unions.
• Guidelines for 'concrete improvements for intersex and transgender faithful'.

Furthermore, the Synodal Way has already influenced reforms in church labor law in November 2022, enabling gay priests and bishops to publicly state their sexuality without fear of job termination. It also removed grounds for dismissal if an employee of the Roman Catholic Church remarries or marries a same-sex partner.

Vatican Tensions and Internal Divisions Persist

The ambitious reform agenda of the German Synodal Way has been met with considerable tension and internal power struggles, particularly with the Vatican. The Holy See has repeatedly expressed concerns regarding the Synodal Way's authority and its potential to diverge from universal Church teaching.

Pope Francis, in November 2023, voiced 'concerns about the numerous concrete steps that large parts of this local Church are now taking that threaten to move further and further away from the common path of the universal Church.' Earlier, in January 2023, the Vatican explicitly stated that neither the German bishops nor the Synodal Way participants had the authority to establish a permanent advisory and decision-making body that would place itself above the authority of the German Bishops' Conference.

Internally, four German bishops—Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne, Bishop Gregor Maria Hanke of Eichstätt, Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau, and Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg—have openly criticized the initiative and some have disassociated themselves from the interim synodal committee, arguing it is at odds with the global synodal process.

The Path Forward: Establishing the Synodal Conference

Despite Vatican objections, an interim Synodal Committee was established in March 2023 with the mandate to prepare for a permanent 'synodal conference' or 'synodal body' by March 2026. This body is envisioned to include all 27 diocesan bishops and 27 representatives from the ZdK, along with 27 additional members to be elected at the current Stuttgart assembly.

The statutes for this new body were finalized by the Synodal Committee in November 2025, aiming to create a structure where bishops and lay people 'deliberate and make decisions together to fulfill the Church's mission.' These statutes are now awaiting endorsement from the German Bishops' Conference and the ZdK, and subsequent submission to the Vatican for provisional approval. The inaugural meeting of the proposed synodal conference is tentatively scheduled for November 6-7, 2026, in Stuttgart.