The canon lawyer, Thomas Schüller drew a critical conclusion after the conclusion of the Catholic reform process, the Synodal Path. “The bishops have moved on many issues but they don’t want to relinquish their power.”
“I don’t want to abolish bishops and priests,” Schüller clarified. They belonged to the Catholic identity. “But I want to disempower them so they can become spiritually powerful again.” They clung to their formal power, but spiritually you couldn’t survive like that.
Cathcon: The reality is he wants Bishops as beautiful museum pieces, which have charm but have been abstracted from their real setting.
Disappointed in Synodal Council debate
“Very disappointed” said the canon lawyer with regard to the debate about the establishment of a permanent Synodal Council. In the future, clergy and lay people will discuss fundamental church issues together. However, the Vatican had denied the Church in Germany the authority to create such a body.
At the last plenary assembly of the synodal path at the weekend in Frankfurt, a synodal committee was set up to deal with the project further.