Germans Ready to Jettison Church Unity

Abbot Jeremias Schröder

At today's Holy See press conference, Abbot Jeremias Schröder, OSB, said the following:

I am from Germany, and it seems to me that, for example, the question of divorced and remarried people - or people who are divorced and who are living again in a stable union with children - is felt very strongly and very broadly in the German Catholic public; it seems to be much less of a concern elsewhere and that seems to an area where maybe regional pastoral solutions could be envisaged. I also have the impression that the understanding of homosexuality - the social acceptance of homosexuality - is culturally very diverse, and that seems to me also to be an area where Bishops' Conferences should be allowed to formulate pastoral responses that are in tune with what can be preached and announced and lived within a given context.

This merely echoes Bishop Franz-Josef Bode's position, as well as Bishop Kurt Koch's remarks to DomRadio.de regarding his expectations for the Synod:

Moreover, I would find it good if the decision in some matters were to be left to the individual Bishops' Conferences. I can't imagine that, given the different perspectives with which I am familiar, all such questions will be answered in Rome. The Vatican is not a pastoral office.

All of this was summarized by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn in the German Language Group Report as follows:

I would like to make an additional remark in regards to the perception and evaluation of varying cultural realities. A synodal document must take proper account of respective cultural peculiarities and differences - especially when dealing with elements of today's cultural reality which are ambivalent or problematic from the perspective of the Church. A differentiated analysis and evaluation is absolutely necessary here in order to contribute to a proper and nuanced ecclesiastical-intercultural exchange.

Thus, as many predicted, it seems that the German faction indeed desires "regional pastoral solutions" - "solutions" which will, of course, result in nothing less than the dissolving of Roman Church unity in matters of faith and morals.

Actually, it only makes sense, doesn't it? We've already destroyed the liturgical unity of the Church by the promulgation of a rite which is celebrated differently, not merely from diocese to diocese, but from priest to priest, and - in some cases - from day to day. Why should it be any different in matters of morals?

Right?