PETITION: Join faithful German Catholics in resisting bishops’ plan to ‘Protestantize’ Church” Sign the petition here.
March 2, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Momentum keeps growing for LifeSite’s new petition calling for Catholics around the world to support a group of 20 German scholars, journalists, pro-family activists, and representatives of faithful Catholic organizations who have come out publicly to “oppose” the German bishops’ so-called “synodal path.”
“For a petition with a rather esoteric name and for what appears, on its face, to be a localized issue, this appeal for Catholics to stand with other Catholics, in defense of the Faith, has done exceedingly well,” said Scott Schittl, one of LifeSite’s campaign coordinators. “Let us give thanks to God for the sensus fidelium.”
The “synodal path” is a convention of the Catholic Church in Germany, which, like other synods, aims to discuss problems particular to Germany at the beginning of the 21st century.
What makes the “synodal path” different from most synods is that its preparatory documents indicate clearly the aim of dissenting from the Church’s sexual teaching, her ban on female ordination, and her apostolic discipline of priestly celibacy. And at its first gathering at the end of January, a majority of the 230 synodal members voted against a proposal that only those votes that are in accordance with the Church’s teaching will be passed on to the general assembly.
Faithful German Catholics are terrified that the German bishops’ plan will “Protestantize” the Catholic Church and “destroy” the substance of the Catholic Church in Germany.
The petition, therefore, is directed to the German bishops and CCed to Pope Francis, and pledges moral and prayerful support to faithful German Catholics who have signed the petition text, entitled “We Remain Catholic — A Call to Resistance against the Synodal Path.”
“Over 8,300 people have already signed the petition in less than a week, which means that this issue has pricked the Catholic world’s conscience,” Schittl stated. “The German bishops, proceeding as they are, must think they are a law unto themselves.”
Prominent cardinals such as Gerhard Müller, Paul Josef Cordes, Walter Brandmüller, and Rainer Woelki have already warned that this synodal path might turn into a schism.
Cardinal Gerhard Müller — the former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith — called this synodal path “suicidal” and warned that it might very well “rescind the Constitution of the Church of Divine Right.”
Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, a retired curial cardinal, stated in an interview with the Italian website La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana that “with the ‘synodal path,’ the German bishops’ conference has started a very dangerous ecclesial process. De facto, the possibility for a schism is now opened up.”
And Cardinal Walter Brandmüller recently published a detailed analysis of one of the preparatory documents of the synodal path, in which he detected many thoughts similar to the ones of Martin Luther. This Church historian and dubia cardinal also warns against a Protestantization of the Church and against the destruction of her hierarchical structure as established by Jesus Christ Himself.
Readers can CLICK HERE to sign this urgent petition, standing with faithful German Catholics in defense of the Church today.