While on the flight home after his first apolostalic trip, Pope Leo XIV spoke on the sensitive topic of the German bishops, who are currently at odds with the Vatican for several theological disagreements.
POPE LEO XIV
The synodal way is not unique to Germany. The whole church has celebrated. a synod and synodality over the past several years. There are some great similarities, but there are also some marked differences between how the Synodal Weg in Germany has been carried forward and how it... may well continue in the Universal Church. On the one hand, I would say there is room certainly for respect for inculturation. The fact that in one place synodality is lived in a certain way and in other places lived differently does not mean that there will be rupture or a fracture. I think that's very important to remember. At the same time, I'm aware that many Catholics in Germany believe that certain aspects of the synodal way that has been celebrated in Germany up until now do not represent their own hope for the church or their own way of living church.
So there's need for further dialogue and listening within Germany itself. so that no one's voice is excluded, so that the voice of those who are more powerful does not silence or stifle the voice of those who might also be very numerous but don't have place to speak up and to allow their own voices and own expression of church participation to be listened to. At the same time, as you know, I'm sure... The German group of German bishops has been meeting through the past couple of years with a group of the cardinals from the Roman Curia. And there's an ongoing process there as well to try and make sure that the German synodal way does not, if you will, break away from what... needs to be considered as the pathway of the universal church.
I'm sure that will continue. I suspect there will be some adjustments made on both sides in Germany. but I'm certainly hopeful that things will work out positively.
