A New German Schism?: Turbulence in the Catholic Church

The fact that the world is witnessing drastic changes in all spheres of social life is also evidenced by the recent news we received from Germany about the path it has taken.The Synodal Way” of the German Bishops’ Conference, and his deep disagreements with the rotten Catholic hierarchy, especially with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith – the old Inquisition – which, with the consent of the Pope, warned of the serious dangers they posed toUnity of the Church changes predicted by the bishops’ conference.

So serious and profound changes are proposed that for the most conservative sectors of the Church they represent a new schism, as deep and radical as the one caused by Martin Luther when he pinned his famous theses ondoor of the church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517. the devastating gesture that gave way to what is known as the Protestant Reformation; first of Lutheranism itself, but then others such as Calvinism and Anglicanism or Episcopalism, to mention the most famous in our midst, and then, of the thousands of “Christian churches”, Pentecostal orientation, restrained towards any hierarchical organization and doctrinal basis arising from personal and literal interpretation of the Bible. In short, a doctrinal upheaval that reflects, in our opinion, a change in times that affects not only political ideas, philosophy and science, but religion and morality.

What was proposed by a direct and open majority vote of the German bishops and lay members of the Synod – puts on the table the differences that were incubated in Roman Catholic Church from the times themselves Second Vatican Council, that, according to his convener, Pope John XXIII, sAn “aggiornamento” of the Church would be needed in order to “modernize” it, to bring it into step with the transformations of modern times. This so-called “spirit of the Council” left the ground for what came to be called “progressivism” or “modernism” of ever-widening groups. The Church (we remember the position of Joseph Ratzinger, frent code Karl Rahner, Hans Ur von Balthasar or Hans Küng). Modernist progressivism that extends from Christological issues, to others, for the most part, that concern practical issues of ethics, but also sacramental norms, essentially those related to the Catholic Mass, true the heart of the Roman Ritesince the question of the Eucharistic celebration and service is centered around him, and around that also those who can serve Mass, who can receive communion, among other important questions of rites and customs.

In fact, the question of the Mass (their language) and the Eucharistic canon led to a division between them Catholics and followers of Monsignor Marcel Lefebvre, and the insistence of some groups that the Mass should continue to be held in Latin, compared to the vast majority who applauded the inclusion of readings and celebrations in the vernacular languages ​​of each country and region. Now the challenges are also faced by the dioceses of the vast peripheral Catholicism (the vast majority of practicing Catholics who are Hispanic, such as Brazilians and Mexicans, African-American rites or indigenous cultures), and not the strongholds in of Italy and Western Europe, increasingly reduced due to essentially demographic factors, but equally derived from the secularism typical of contemporary societies. For this reason, the Pope’s orientation to be more concerned with evangelization has encouraged the German church to address moral issues that, according to the German hierarchs, distance a young parishioner of the Church, as celibate, homosexual communities and the role of women, before others of a communicative type.

Concise, almost caricatured, very complex matter: the change he adopted German Synod there are four: three refer to moral issues, such as the blessing of same-sex unions or non-sacramental cohabitation (they are called: “blessing services for people who love each other”); the ordination of women, especially deaconesses, and the preaching of lay people at masses; and optional or optional celibacy of priests; and the other church management by Parish and Diocesan Councils. These questions, long hidden in the countries Europeans (Belgium, Netherlands) and USAthey seem to rest on a renewed doctrinal base supported by science and the so-called Agenda 2030 with an emphasis on gender issues, environmental protection and multiculturalism.

For those who oppose the position “elitist” and “scientist” of German Catholics, In short, these are not only controversial issues of ethics and rituals, but a deep questioning of the foundations of doctrine, which for them can be nothing but the traditional doctrine and tradition of the church. The Apostles’ Creed, norms and documents of legitimate councils Church history and, of course, the dogmatic declarations of the Pope of Rome or “ex cathedra” of the truth of Peter’s ministry (for example, the last one was the dogma of Immaculate Conception of Mary). Furthermore, behind the rituals and ethics there are clear questions regarding the governance of the church and its considerable resources and political influence in regions, countries and the world.

The German Synod lasts for three years, and recently, at the beginning of this month of March 2023, a public debate broke out in which, according to some, nothing less than the presidency of St. The German bishops’ conference issued a challenge to the Pope and their doctrinal dogmas. (See, for example: https://www.europapress.es/sociedad/noticia-vaticano-avisa-camino-sinodal-aleman-tomando-decisiones-no-encajan-doctrina-iglesia-20230314130827.html).

Some catholic television and the most radical groups of traditionalism in the media and digital networks (who always looked at Benedict XVI -conservative theologian Joseph Ratzinger-, the previous Pope, Pope Emeritus and even before Secretary of the Congregation for Doctrine and Faith of Ivan Paul II. willing to reduce the Church to a small nucleus driven by the Holy Spirit and the purest Catholic doctrine; These groups, I say, are putting pressure on the Pope to declare schismatics and excommunicate German Catholics who do not give up their claims. They also accuse the Pope of being ambiguous and irresponsible in his mandate as The visible head and representative of Christ on earth, with which they give birth to pressures and manifestations that equally cause rwarm to Rome.

What I describe in this way in a very tight synthesis, gives an account of the phenomena typical of a geopolitics of faith and cultural change that will not stop. Topics like ecumenism, interreligious dialoguethese are not minor problems diary of the world that follows the movement of breaks in scientific, technological and economic and political. All these spheres interconnected and we must also be attentive to this infosphere already this epistemic sphere if we want to orient ourselves minimally in the real world.