On this blog, I often complimented Pope Francis for His Holiness’ wonderful papal pilgrimages which were successful except the ones to Chile and Ireland, each with very small crowds at papal Masses and and riots in Chile over some stupid papal appointments of bishops associated with the sexual abuse of minors and Pope Francis’ determined defense of them and His Holiness’ choices. In Chile, it was a disaster!
But, Pope Francis’ high altitude papal news conferences always heard him saying something controversial and polarizing in his off-the-cuff remarks and these overshadowed his wonderful pilgrimage. Everyone talked about the interview not the trip!
Thanks be to God, among all the reversals of Pope Francis’ style and ethos, Pope Leo also reversed controversial news conferences give at high altitudes.
Pope Leo is measured in his off-the-cuff remarks and is careful not to overshadow all he did and said in his formal pilgrimage. Thanks be to God!
On his return to Rome from Lebanon, Pope Leo remarked on the Synodal Way in Germany, where many feel that Germany is heading for a new or neo-Protestant reformation. I think that is true too! Pope Leo downplays that, sort of. You need to read between the lines. My most humble but most astute comments are embedded in red within Pope Leo’s answer to the question posed by Anna Giordano:
Anna Giordano (Ard Radio): The Church in Lebanon is supported also by the German Church. There are, for example, some German aid agencies very active in Lebanon. So also from that point of view, it is important that the German Church stays a strong Church. So you probably know, that there is this (Synodaler Weg), Synodal Way, a process of change in the German Church going on. Do you think this process can can be a way to strengthen the Church? Or is is the other way around? And why?
[Pope, in English]: The Synodal Way is not unique to Germany; the whole Church has celebrated a Synod and synodality over the past several years.
There are some great similarities, but there are also some marked differences between how the Synodal Way in Germany has been carried forward and how it may well continue in the universal Church. On the one hand, I would say there is room certainly for respect for inculturation.
The fact that in one place synodality is lived in a certain way, and in an other place it is lived differently, does not mean that there will be rupture or a fracture. I think that is very important to remember.
(My comment: Here Pope Leo recognizes in a measured, sober way that some parts of the German synodal way have gone off the rails, manipulated by the rich and powerful and heterodox who cancel out the voices of the poor and orthodox): At the same time, I am aware that many Catholics in Germany believe that certain aspects of the Synodal Way that has been celebrated in Germany up until now, do not represent their own hope for the Church or their own way of living the Church.
So, there is need for further dialogue and listening within Germany itself, so that no one’s voice is excluded, (especially the voices of the poor and orthodox) so that the voice of those who are more powerful (and heterodox) does not silence or stifle the voice of those who might also be very numerous but don’t have a place to speak up and to allow their own voices and own expressions of Church participation to be listened to.
(My comment: but then Pope Leo adds a very discrete, “but, but, but): At the same time, as you know I am sure, the group of German Bishops has been meeting, for the last couple of years, with a group of the Cardinals from the Roman Curia. There is an ongoing process there as well, to try and make sure the German Synodal Way does not, if you will, break away from what needs to be considered as a pathway of the universal Church. (In this paragraph, but in a sober, read between the lines way, Pope Leo indicates that the Vatican and now with His Holiness’ leadership, but exercised through his cardinals, will not allow the German Synodal way to claim to be in union with Rome if in fact they are schismatic and heretical. Pope Leo indicates that some of their heterodox ideas and ideologies do in fact present the real threat of a breakaway by the German Church! Thank you Pope Leo for stating the obvious!)
I’m sure that will continue. I suspect there will be some adjustments made on both sides in Germany, but I’m certainly hopefully that things will work out positively. (And Pope Leo and His Holiness’ Cardinals at the Vatican will make sure it does!)
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