German “Synodal Way”

The 2019-2023 Synodal Way of the Catholic Church in Germany was held ostensibly in response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis and declining Church membership. Despite repeated and ongoing warnings from the Vatican, the process moved in a distinctly heterodox direction. It concluded with resolutions calling for changes to Church teaching and practice on issues such as same-sex blessings, ordaining women as deacons, allowing married priests, and revising teachings on homosexuality and sexual ethics. Participants of the Synodal Way claimed it was an expression of synodality; critics argued that it diverged from the universal Church’s teachings, and could lead to schism.