The Vatican has informed German bishops in writing that the ordination of women and changes in the Church’s teaching on homosexuality cannot be subjects of discussion in the upcoming meetings with delegates of the German Synodal Way in Rome.    

The letter, dated October 23rd, also reminded the bishops of potential disciplinary consequences for anyone defying the teaching of the Church. Written by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, and addressed to the Secretary General of the German Bishops’ Conference, Beate Gilles, the letter was shared with all German diocesan bishops. The latest in a growing list of Vatican interventions regarding the German Synodal Way.     

German bishops and representatives of the Roman Curia met in the Vatican in July for discussions about the German Synodal Way. These talks will continue in January, April, and July 2024. They are expected to cover ecclesiology, anthropology, morality, and liturgy, and texts of the Synodal Way. 

This article was edited by Jacob Stein.