Germany: the Synodal Path gathers in Frankfurt for its assembly. The first draft of the documents under discussion published now

The meeting in Frankfurt from September 30th to October 2nd for the second assembly of the Synodal Path of the German Catholic Church, started at the end of 2019 by the Bishops’ Conference and by the Central Committee of German Catholics (Zdk), has been confirmed. The 230 delegates will move from the big hall of the Dominican convent to the Frankfurt Fair, so as to have enough room for a face to face discussion of the first draft of the synodal documents that have been available on the website since yesterday. The presidency wrote the “foreword”, explaining the context and meaning of such path, and a theological introduction. Each one of the four theme groups submitted the outcomes of their discussions. The reflections worked out by the group on “power and division of powers in the Church” was substantial and contained lots of effective ideas, while there is just one “key text” about “priestly life today”. The group on “women and services and ministries in the Church” spread its reflections over three more operational documents, with guidelines ranging from the request that German bishops may ask the Synod of the Universal Church to consider “reopening the reflection about magisterial decisions” on women’s services and ministries in the Church, to a reflection on the role of women in theological institutions (faculties, institutes of religious science). The draft of the document on issues of sexual morality, that starts with the discrepancy between the magisterium and the devotees’ life, investigates its sources and then provides a rereading of sexuality, is thirty pages long.
Valentina Bombelli