Synodality produces harmony, Cardinal Grech tells German Catholics

May 20, 2026

» Continue to this story on L'Osservatore Romano (Italian)

CWN Editor's Note: The Vatican newspaper published the full text of an address delivered by Cardinal Mario Grech, the secretary general of the Synod, to German Catholics gathered together for Katholikentag, a gathering held every two years.

Cardinal Grech acknowledged that his audience was awaiting from him a comment on the decisions made by Germany’s Synodal Way.

After comparing synodality to an orchestra, Cardinal Grech said that “what constitutes the distinctive nature of a synod, therefore, is not its infallibility, but rather the actual presence of Christ and His Spirit, a presence that emerges within the symphony, within the harmony among the participants.”

He added:

I am here for this very reason: to undertake with you the synodal exercise of tuning our instruments. The symphony, harmony and communion as a collective work, comes into being precisely through this continuous choice to play together, to be all tuned to the same note. Then, each instrument will interpret its own score, contributing richness and beauty to the single symphonic work.

This means having no fear of differences; rather than allowing them to become sources of conflict and opposition, we make them grounds for discernment, for mutual listening, and for a shared desire to follow the Risen One and to recognize the signs of the times.

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