At the planned synod conference in Germany, Bishop Peter Kohlgraf of Mainz would like to broaden the thematic horizon. It will be about “addressing questions of passing on the faith and evangelisation,” said the bishop at the Mainz event ‘One Church, Many Paths,’ over the weekend. He hopes that ideas will be formed “that are more inviting to many different theological positions”.
The Synodal Conference was conceived as a continuation of the reform project of the German Synodal Way. The committee still has to be confirmed by the German Bishops’ Conference and the Vatican.
Synodality is different from parliamentary cooperation in search of majorities, Bishop Kohlgraf explained: “It’s about how we can work together to realise the Kingdom of God – not about how I can get my way.” He added that implementing the decisions of the Synodal Way at the diocesan level would take time. “First and foremost, it’s about a change in attitude. And this attitude has to be practised; it doesn’t just change with a decree.”
In addition to Bishop Kohlgraf, German missionary nurse Birgit Weiler, who teaches at the Jesuit University in Lima, also spoke at the event. She cited Pope Francis’ message, addressing the Church in Latin America, that everyone must be capable of shared responsibility: “synodality requires cooperation along the way in order to counteract individualism in Latin America – in the sense of shared responsibility for the common good.”
