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German cardinal warns about country entering into ‘schism,’ becoming ‘German national church’
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<p class="gmail-article-tags gmail-hide-print"><a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/german-cardinal-warns-about-country-entering-into-schism-becoming-german-national-church">https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/german-cardinal-warns-about-country-entering-into-schism-becoming-german-national-church</a></p>
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<p>September 4, 2019 (<a href="http://lifesitenews.com/">LifeSiteNews</a>) <span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)"><b>– Cardinal Rainer Woelki, the archbishop of Cologne, describes in a new <a href="https://kirchenzeitung-koeln.de/672">interview</a>
his recent visit to the United States, his impressions, and his many
conversations with Catholics during his trip. </b></span>Speaking to the local
diocesan newspaper, <em>Kirchenzeitung Köln</em>, Woelki says that he
feels “encouraged” by his visit in the U.S., but that also many people
showed their concern about the developments in Germany.</p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)"><b> “Everywhere I was confronted with concern about <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">the current
developments in</span> Germany,” he explains. </b></span>“In many encounters, <span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)"><b>the concern
was palpable</b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> that the 'synodal path' leads us onto a German separate
path [“<em>Sonderweg</em>”], that we, at worst, even put at risk <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">the
communion with the Universal Church</span> and become a German national
church.</b></span>” “Nobody can want this,” Woelki adds, “and so we should take
seriously this warning.”</p>
<p>Many of those with whom he spoke in the U.S. “shook their heads” when
seeing “that<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"> </span><b><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">we in Germany seem to be ready willfully to change<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"> the
deposit of the Faith as it has been entrusted</span> <span style="background-color:rgb(207,226,243)"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">to</span> us</span>,</span> </b>because we demand
it so loudly,” the German prelate stated. </p>
<p>Cardinal Woelki's interlocutors in the U.S. spoke “openly” about<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b> the
“fear</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>that thereby, it could come to a schism within <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">the Universal
Church</span> or even to a schism within <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">the Church <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">in Germany.</span></span>”</b></span></p>
<p>While Cardinal Woelki is aware that there are challenges in the U.S.,
as well, he noticed that “there, answers are being given based on the
Faith of the Universal Church, and not in form of a unilateral path or
of a theological overestimation of one's own abilities.”</p>
<p>Asked as to what these comments on the part of his U.S. interlocutors
mean for him, Cardinal Woelki stated that “I feel strengthened in my
attitude. I believe that the path as it is currently being taken in
Germany bears great dangers – especially in light of a schism within the
Church in Germany.” Here, the prelate referred back to <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>a recent letter
written by Pope Francis </b></span>which is addressed to the German Catholics and
in which <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>the Pope calls upon the Germans to preserve the Church's sense
of the Faith.</b></span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>Cardinal Woelki<span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)"> </span></b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)"><b>described in his interview </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>how impressed he was by
the Catholics in the U.S. </b></span>and how there takes place a “new
evangelization.” He noticed during his trip to Boston, Washington, D.C.,
and New York City “how natural it is there to live as a Christian and
Catholic. To be Catholic is nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary,
for many people whom I met it is a true joy to live their Catholicicity
with a natural normality.” Woelki said.</p>
<p>Additionally, the German cardinal noticed how the flourishing
parishes and religious orders that he visited had a “deep sacramental
life.” </p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>“Eucharistic adoration, the Sunday Mass and the Holy Masses during
the week are essentials in the parishes, the schools, and universities.
Part of it is also the access to the Sacrament of Penance,”</b></span> Woelki
explained. The “sacramental is placed at the center of the pastoral
care.” Such a spiritual life centered upon Christ Himself, Woelki later
added, “leads to an attitude which encourages us also to stand against
the mainstream.”</p>
<p>Cardinal Woelki, who<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b> visited at different places the Sisters of the
Poor, the Sisters of Life, and the Franciscans of the Renewal</b></span>, noticed
that these religious communities are “young, dynamic communities” with <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>a
“life connected with the Eucharist.”</b></span></p>
<p>“I return home encouraged and I have concretely felt what it means to
belong to the Catholic Universal Church,” Woelki concludes. “To have
this connection surpassing all national borders is very precious,
especially for us Germans. We should hold on to it.”</p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>Cardinal Woelki is one of the<u> few </u>German bishops who have publicly expressed their resistance to <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">the <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/german-bishops-to-revisit-catholic-sexual-teaching">plans</a>
of the German Bishops’ Conference of a “synodal path” questioning</span><u> the
Church's teaching on</u> celibacy, sexuality, and the role of women in the
Church's ministries</b></span>. In March of 2019, he <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/german-cardinal-preachers-have-failed-when-laity-demand-overthrow-of-churchs-sexual-teachings">stated</a>
that German preachers have “failed” when laity now calls for a change
of the Church's teaching on sexuality. He then challenged his fellow
Catholics, saying “To put it in a pointed way, the alternative before us
is: either the de-secularization of the Church or the
de-Christianization of the world, at least in that part of the world
where we Germans live.”</p>
<p>Moreover, Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer, of Regensburg, has also made
public his opposition to the German reform plans which well might
include an impending <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/two-german-bishops-endorse-book-calling-for-church-blessing-for-homosexual-couples">Church blessing for homosexual couples</a>, <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/german-bishops-website-floats-idea-of-women-giving-homilies-at-mass">a new form</a> of a <a href="https://www.katholisch.de/artikel/22614-keine-frauenordination-die-kirche-konstruiert-sich-ihre-argumente">female diaconate</a>, as well as a widening of <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/germanys-bishops-approve-communion-for-protestant-spouses">intercommunion</a>. Voderholzer <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/german-bishop-synodal-path-revisiting-celibacy-sexual-morality-is-path-of-destruction">said</a> in May of 2019 that<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> this “synodal path” in Germany might very well turn out to be a “path of destruction.” </b></span></p>
<p>“<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>A synodal process,” </b></span>he then explained, <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>“which aims at inventing </b><b>a
new Church is a path of destruction,</b></span>" said Bishop Voderholzer while
speaking at the Austrian monastery Heiligenkreuz on May 11. <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>“It splits
<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">Christians</span> apart, it cuts <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">the Church</span> into pieces and finally also
damages<span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"> our society</span> and is a burden also for the <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">Protestant
communities</span>.”</b></span></p></div>
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