German bishops' spokesman denies closed-door meeting planned for change in Church teaching on marriage

May 28, 2015

A special meeting of European bishops was not intended to organize a campaign for change in Church teaching on marriage, a spokesman for the German bishops’ conference insists.

However, participants at the closed-door meeting devoted their attention to “pastoral innovations” that might be proposed at the October meeting of the Synod of Bishops.

“I reject the thesis that the bishops have an agenda to change Church teaching,” said Matthias Kopp, the German bishops’ spokesman. He said that the bishops had a “very broad” discussion, not solely focused on homosexuality and the status of divorced and remarried Catholics.

The meeting, held on May 25 at the Gregorian University, was organized by the presidents of the German, French, and Swiss bishops’ conferences. Not all of the bishops from those countries participated in the discussions, and the Austrian Catholic news site Kath.net said that bishops who were deemed to be “not sympathetic” to the purposes of the meeting were not invited to participate. The Polish bishops’ conference, which has generally take a strong stand in support of current Church teaching on marriage, was invited to participate in an exchange with the German bishops, but declined.

Only a few media representatives attended the meeting, under ground rules stipulating that reporters could not link speakers with their comments.

 

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Further information:

• Spokesman says bishops’ gathering was not about changing doctrine (CNS)
• List of Participants Who Attended Gregorian 'Shadow Council' (National Catholic Register)
• Liberal European bishops, in closed-door session, plan Synod strategy (CWN, 5/26)