Polish Bishops Are Concerned About the Evolution of the Synodal Path

Msgr. Stanislaw Gadecki, Archbishop of Poznan, introduces his letter by recalling the links which unite the Church of Germany and that of Poland. This is the reason that prompts him to “express his deep concern and unease at the information that has recently been received from certain spheres of the Catholic Church in Germany.”

He expresses his concern “about the value of the statements made by certain circles of the Catholic Church in Germany, in particular within the framework of the ‘Synodal Path.’”

Msgr. Gadecki notes the influence of the Church of Germany in Europe. He is “aware that she will radiate her faith or her unbelief throughout the continent. Therefore, I view with concern the actions of the German Synodal Path.” He then lists the critical points.

The Temptation to Seek the Fullness of Truth Outside of the Gospel

The president of the CEP first indicates that the observation of the fruits of the Synodal Path gives the impression that the Gospel is not always the basis of the reflection of the German synod and in particular, a certain temptation to believe in the infallibility of the social sciences.

He presents it thus: “One of the temptations of the Church today is to compare the teachings of Jesus with current developments in psychology and the social sciences. If something in the Gospel is not in accordance with the current state of knowledge of these sciences, the disciples, … try to “update” the Gospel.”

The prelate pertinently remarks “that the state of scientific knowledge evolves frequently and sometimes dramatically. … Mutability is inherent in the very nature of science, which only has a fragment of possible knowledge. The discovery of errors and their analysis is the engine of the progress of science.”

We must add the ideological fallacies. “They underlie, for example, the change in attitude towards sexuality that can be observed today. The development of knowledge does not stop with our generation. The generations that follow us will have to put aside the books on psychology or the social sciences, which are today considered infallible.”

The Temptation to Live with an Inferiority Complex

“Catholics,” says Bishop Gadecki, “in Germany, but also in Poland, live under the pressure of public opinion, which means that many of them suffer from a kind of inferiority complex.” He urges Bishop Bätzing not to give in to the pressures of the world and the models of the dominant culture, as this can lead to moral and spiritual corruption.

He invites him to avoid “the repetition of worn slogans and banal affirmations such as the abolition of celibacy, the priesthood of women, communion for the divorced, and the blessing of unions between people of the same sex. The ‘updating’ of the definition of marriage in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union is not a reason to modify the Gospel,” he concludes.

The temptation of corporate thinking

The prelate is aware “that the Church in Germany regularly loses faithful and that the number of priests decreases from year to year. She is therefore looking for ways to keep her faithful and to encourage young people to choose the priesthood.”

However, in doing so, she seems to be facing the risk of corporatist thinking: “there are not enough employees, so let’s lower the recruitment criteria.” This explains the demand for the abolition of the obligation of priestly celibacy, as well as the question of the ordination of women. He recalls for this last point that the question is definitively settled.

Finally, Msgr. Gadecki points out that “the Synodal Path has approved the erroneous and scandalous practice of blessing homosexual relations and is trying to modify the teaching of the Church on the sinfulness of homosexual acts.” He takes the opportunity to recall the recent condemnation of this blessing by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The Temptation to Succumb to Pressure

The Archbishop of Poznan gives the example of Pope Paul VI, when he was strongly criticized for his position on contraception in the encyclical Humanae vitae, explained to Jean Guitton that it is a service to humanity to preserve the ideal of holiness.

This letter has the merit of frankness and courage. It highlights the main points on which the Synodal Path leaves the faith, and some reasons that underlie this slippage. All that remains is to hope that the warning will be heeded by the recipients.