Thomas LohnesFrom left, the leadership of the German Synodal way: Thomas Söding; Bishop Georg Bätzing, the president of the German Catholic bishops’ conference, Irme Stetter-Karp, the new president of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) and Bishop Franz-Josef Bode stand for a photo before the opening meeting of the Synodal Way Feb. 3 in Frankfurt.
By criticizing the procedure — but not the substance — of the Church in Germany’s push for radical departures from Catholic teaching, this week’s Vatican statement left deeper concerns unaddressed.