German Bishops and the Specter of Schism: How Did It Come to This?

n January 17, Pope Leo XIV received in audience the Apostolic Nuncio to the Federal Republic of Germany, Msgr. Nikola Eterović. The meeting is presumed to have revolved around the imminent vote by the German Bishops’ Conference on the statute of the infamous Synodal Conference, which has caused the Vatican many headaches in recent years. From January 29 to 31, in Stuttgart, the sixth and final phase of the Synodal Assembly of the Catholic Church in Germany will take place. But let us proceed in order.

Alongside the German Bishops’ Conference, that is, the body that brings together all the bishops and coordinates pastoral care, liturgy, communication, and various other initiatives, there is, at the head of the Catholic Church in Germany, the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), a body unique worldwide. To date, the ZdK limits itself to representing German Catholics in the public sphere, coordinating the apostolate of the laity, advising and providing recommendations to bishops, and publishing statements on issues of public relevance. It has no decision-making power, because in the Catholic Church, the power of governance belongs to the pope and to the bishops in communion with him.

Although the ZdK was historically born to protect the Catholic minority in a Protestant country, culturally very aggressive toward the ‘papists’, after the Second Vatican Council, the ZdK degenerated into an almost parliamentary body and was exploited by progressives to attempt to initiate reforms in a democratic sense within the Church.

Another aspect of the German church that makes it doubly unique in the Catholic landscape is that it is the richest church in the world. In 2025, the assets of the Holy See amounted to about €4 billion, while the German church possessed assets estimated at €250 billion. Although money does not explain all the dynamics at play, it nonetheless evidently plays a considerable role in understanding certain choices. The Vatican is very cautious about breaking ties with a church that, willingly or unwillingly, represents a considerable financial lung. And the German bishops know this well.