Vatican weighs in on German plan for governing ‘council’ of laity and bishops
Senior Vatican officials have notified the bishops of Germany that they are not empowered to create a proposed legislative body made up of clergy and laity, which would act as a governing body for the whole Church in the country.
We wish to make it clear that neither the Synodal Path, nor any body established by it, nor any Episcopal Conference has the competence to establish the Synodal Council at the national, diocesan or parish level, a Jan. 16 letter sent to the German bishops explained, which has been obtained by The Pillar.
The letter was signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, along with Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Cardinal Marc Ouellet, head of the Dicastery for Bishops.
The idea of creating a permanent governing body of bishops and laity for the Church in Germany was approved at a meeting of the synodal way last September, at which participants voted to create a permanent governing synodal council.
The council would also take fundamental decisions of supra-diocesan significance on pastoral planning, future perspectives and budgetary issues of the Church that are not decided at the level of the dioceses.
No idea what the Vatican is playing at. Looks like slamming on the brakes after stepping on the gas.