Bernhard Meuser warns that the German Synodal Path risks deepening division with Rome and abandoning core catechetical foundations.
Newsroom (21/01/2026 Gaudium Press ) Germany’s Catholic Church stands at a decisive turning point. What began as a movement for renewal in the wake of abuse scandals has evolved into a profound struggle over theology, governance, and authority. As the Synodal Path approaches its final plenary assembly in Stuttgart, a new structure—the Synodal Conference—is poised to reshape the balance of power between bishops and laity. With delegates expected to hold a 54-to-27 lay majority and decision-making powers, the Church faces what some describe as its most serious internal confrontation since the Reformation.
Among the most outspoken critics is Bernhard Meuser, co-founder of the reform initiative Neuer Anfang (“New Beginning”). In an interview with Il Foglio, Meuser reflected on the trajectory of German Catholicism and its growing tension with Rome. “In Germany,” he observed, “we have a long tradition of ignoring, minimizing, or interpreting Roman decrees as confirmation of our own line.”
Vatican Unease and a Candid Audience
In December, The Pope met privately with Meuser, theologian Martin Brüske, and journalist Franziska Harter, editor of Tagespost. According to Meuser, the meeting confirmed that the pontiff shares their concern over developments in the German Church. The Pope, who has previously cautioned against reducing the Synodal process to parliamentary structures, reportedly acknowledged the gravity of the current moment—one that could reshape the essence of church governance.
The Clash of Two Ecclesiologies
Meuser describes the confrontation unfolding in Germany as a modern Kulturkampf—an ecclesial battle between two theological visions that have coexisted uneasily since the Second Vatican Council: the Communio model, rooted in apostolic and hierarchical unity, and the Concilium vision, which imagines the Church as a body that can reinvent itself democratically from below. “It’s about power and money,” Meuser argues, contending that strategists behind the reforms have succeeded in aligning most bishops to a lay-led agenda while seeking “papal blessing for their triumph.”
Four Sources of Rupture
According to Meuser, the Synodal Path has drifted toward positions that could precipitate a doctrinal schism. He identifies four fault lines:
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A Dilution of Apostolic Authority – Bishops risk becoming mere facilitators of popular will rather than guardians of faith.
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Ethical Autonomy Over Revelation – Theological ethics increasingly centers on subjective freedom, rendering divine revelation “superfluous.”
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Secularization of the Sacred – The Church morphs into a bureaucratic “religious administration,” losing its evangelical identity.
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Anthropological Revisionism – Emerging views on sexuality see LGBTQ identities as a “creational gift,” with liturgical blessings of same-sex couples occurring despite Vatican prohibition.
For Meuser, these developments signal not progressive renewal but a break from the theological core that anchors Catholic identity.
The Divided Voice of German Catholics
The synodal organizers claim overwhelming support for reform. Bishop Georg Bätzing, president of the German Bishops’ Conference, cites a 96% approval rate among Catholics. But independent research suggests otherwise. According to the INSA Institute, only 21% of German Catholics view the Synodal Path positively, while 17% oppose it outright.
Meuser insists that “a large majority” feel unrepresented, yet the internal dynamics of the Church complicate resistance. With approximately 800,000 lay collaborators employed by ecclesial institutions, Meuser notes that “many wield more communicative and administrative power than our bishops,” contributing to a dynamic where financial dependence suppresses dissent.
Lost Foundations and a Fading Faith
Beneath structural debates lies what Meuser calls the Church’s “original error”—the abandonment of catechesis. Citing Cardinal Reinhard Marx’s remark that “the Catechism is not the Quran,” Meuser links theological laxity to the erosion of faith among ordinary Catholics. The result, he warns, is visible: a decline in Mass attendance, plummeting priestly vocations, and a generation of believers disengaged from Church life. “It should come as no surprise,” he laments, “if 30% of German Catholics consider divine filiation a fable.”
The losses, Meuser says, run deep. The Church is relinquishing four vital constituencies: young people migrating to evangelical communities; devout traditionalists drawn to the Tridentine liturgy; intellectuals alienated by shallow theology; and missionary renewal movements sidelined by institutional politics.
An Uncertain Future
As Stuttgart prepares to host the final assembly of the Synodal Path, many within and beyond Germany watch with both hope and anxiety. Whether the Church in Germany emerges rejuvenated or fractured will depend on how it reconciles renewal with fidelity—a balance the Vatican has insisted is non-negotiable.
For Meuser and his colleagues, the path forward requires rediscovering what the Church has nearly forgotten: that reform without roots risks not rebirth, but self-dissolution.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from InfoCatholica
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