However, in his response, the President of the German Bishops’ Conference avoids the main topics in discussion: fidelity to Revelation and the Tradition of the Church.  

Newsroom (06/04/2022 5:12 PM, Gaudium Press) As reported by Gaudium Press, the Nordic Catholic bishops of Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Denmark addressed an open letter to the bishops of Germany, voicing their concern in regards to the German synodal path.

Bishop George Batzing of Limburg and President of the German Bishops’ Conference replied in a note dated March 28, as reported by Aciprensa.

In his letter, Bishop Batzing assures that “in the deliberations and decisions of the Synodal Way very careful differentiation is made as to which changes and reforms can be realized within the framework of the diocesan responsibility of the members of the German bishops’ conference and which questions, concerns and reform wishes must be brought into the context of the world Church, in particular into the synodal path of the world Church.”

Bishop Batzing avoids the crucial points

However, the Bishop of Limburg does not directly allude to the central point raised by the Scandinavian bishops: “It has ever been the case that true reforms in the Church have set out from Catholic teaching founded on divine Revelation and authentic Tradition, to defend it, expound it, and translate it credibly into lived life — not from capitulation to the Zeitgeist. How fickle the Zeigeist is, is something we verify on a daily basis,” they cautioned in their open letter. 

Compiled by Gustavo Kralj