BERLIN (LifeSiteNews) – The secretary general of the German bishop-backed Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) has issued a statement of support for a woman who tried to concelebrate at a Catholic Mass in a Swiss church.
On August 28 a number of women seemingly attempted to join a priest in consecrating the Eucharist during Mass in St. Martin’s parish church in Illnau-Effretikon, Switzerland, prompting local Bishop Joseph Bonnemain of Chur to open a canonical investigation into the case. One of the women, reportedly parish leader Monika Schmid, uttered the words of consecration with the celebrating priest.
Responding to the bishop, ZdK secretary general Marc Frings condemned the investigation into the liturgical abuse by issuing the following statement:
An example is to be made here. But whoever thinks he has to secure the power of the Catholic rules with a crackdown reveals spiritual powerlessness. That is not a sign of a sense of faith and closeness to humanity.
While Frings argued that the bishop acted with “spiritual powerlessness” in opening an investigation into the abuse, canon 907 of the Catholic Church’s canon law expressly forbids anyone but the priest to utter the words of consecration: “In the eucharistic celebration deacons and lay persons are not permitted to offer prayers, especially the eucharistic prayer, or to perform actions which are proper to the celebrating priest.”
The ZdK is an institution officially recognized by the German bishops’ Conference and acts as an advisory board to the German bishops. The organization is responsible for the controversial Synodal Way together with the German bishops’ conference and hence works very closely together with the German bishops.
The statement of support for the liturgical abuse puts the bishop-backed ZdK in opposition to Church teaching.
Two groups of lay Catholics, “Voices of Faith” and “Maria 2.0,” started a petition in support of Monika Schmid, the woman who joined the priest in saying the words of consecration during the attempted concelebration of the Mass. In the text of the petition, the groups claim that Schmid, according to her own statements, had celebrated and concelebrated the Eucharist several times before and that Bonnemain had been made aware of it.
According to the text of the petition, however, the bishop acted only after public pressure was put on him.
Bonnemain has drawn criticism in the recent past with numerous heterodox comments and actions. He expressed support for same-sex unions last year and gave Holy Communion to non-Catholics during his episcopal ordination last March.
The ZdK has also earned a reputation of scandal in recent years. The president of the organization, Irme Stetter-Karp, who also acts as co-president of the Synodal Way, issued a strong statement in support of abortion in July this year, saying that “a nationwide provision of the medical intervention of abortion must be ensured.”
After her controversial anti-life comment, a petition calling for her resignation was started by lay Catholics.