A couple threads have already been started on this German movement, but they were presented in an inscrutable way, and died quickly.
Here's the deal. The German Catholic Church, like many others, has been deeply harmed by revelations of large-scale pedophilic activities on the part of its clergy, spanning decades. On the second level, they have also been harmed by the lackluster responses of local Bishops when such accusations came to light. We've seen it here, in Canada, Ireland, Italy, and probably many other countries where the RC Church has a significant presence. The only comfort that one can take is that it apparently involved 5-7% of priests, meaning that 95% or so were and are as solid as they seem.
There is no solution what has happened in the past, and one can only watch closely to confirm that new standards and measures will eradicate this plague within the Church going forward. I believe they have done what is necessary for the future.
Germany's response to this cancer entailed the creation of a large, influential clergy-lay discussion group (for lack of a better description) called The Synodal Path (translated variously). To get to the meat of it, the SP has published letters (or whatever) recommending that the Church reconsider some long-held beliefs and positions, in the following areas:
One might ask, If this initiative was intended to address pedophilia in the priesthood, what does any of this have to do with pedophilia? Nothing that I can see.
I know of no organization in the U.S. that includes Bishops that would even countenance any of this, even though three of the four would probably win a popular vote, if any Catholic organization had the balls to conduct such an exercise.
Take fifteen minutes and see a gooder explanation
Is Germany going to spearhead ANOTHER "reformation"? This would be seriously ironic, considering that NOBODY in Germany actually goes to Church on Sunday, Catholic or otherwise. At least in my experience.
Here's the deal. The German Catholic Church, like many others, has been deeply harmed by revelations of large-scale pedophilic activities on the part of its clergy, spanning decades. On the second level, they have also been harmed by the lackluster responses of local Bishops when such accusations came to light. We've seen it here, in Canada, Ireland, Italy, and probably many other countries where the RC Church has a significant presence. The only comfort that one can take is that it apparently involved 5-7% of priests, meaning that 95% or so were and are as solid as they seem.
There is no solution what has happened in the past, and one can only watch closely to confirm that new standards and measures will eradicate this plague within the Church going forward. I believe they have done what is necessary for the future.
Germany's response to this cancer entailed the creation of a large, influential clergy-lay discussion group (for lack of a better description) called The Synodal Path (translated variously). To get to the meat of it, the SP has published letters (or whatever) recommending that the Church reconsider some long-held beliefs and positions, in the following areas:
- Married priests,
- Woman priests,
- "De-criminalizing" homosexuality, sanctioning homosexual marriages, and,
- Reconsidering abortion as a "mortal sin" (along with, I presume the Church's position on contraception).
One might ask, If this initiative was intended to address pedophilia in the priesthood, what does any of this have to do with pedophilia? Nothing that I can see.
I know of no organization in the U.S. that includes Bishops that would even countenance any of this, even though three of the four would probably win a popular vote, if any Catholic organization had the balls to conduct such an exercise.
Take fifteen minutes and see a gooder explanation
Is Germany going to spearhead ANOTHER "reformation"? This would be seriously ironic, considering that NOBODY in Germany actually goes to Church on Sunday, Catholic or otherwise. At least in my experience.
) Mass. However, I notice on Christmas Eve some parishes have a four o'clock children's Mass.
