Reform groups demand renewal instead of culture war - Germany's Catholic Church elects new leader amid sweeping reforms
Germany's Catholic bishops will elect a new leader on Tuesday in Würzburg. The vote comes as outgoing chairman Georg Bätzing steps down after years of guiding the church through major reforms. The decision is widely viewed as pivotal for the future direction of the Roman Catholic Church in the country.
The election follows a period of significant change under the Synodal Path, a process running from 2019 to 2023. This initiative brought bishops and lay members together to make joint decisions on church governance. A key outcome was the creation of a new federal Synodalkonferenz, where clergy and laity will collaborate on major issues. Pope Francis reinforced this shift by adopting the second synod's final document as official teaching, rather than issuing a separate papal statement.
Reform groups such as We Are Church and Maria 2.0 are pushing for the new leader to prioritise abuse investigations and further reforms. They want the next chairman to honour the commitments made during the Synodal Path. Concrete changes are already visible in some dioceses, like those under Bishop Wilmer, where laypeople now hold primary leadership roles in parishes, with priests involved only for formal requirements. Other dioceses have introduced democratically elected councils to advise bishops on key decisions.
The new leader will take office at a time when lay involvement in church governance is expanding. The sixth Synodal Assembly, scheduled for January 2026, will finalise statutes for the Synodalkonferenz, ensuring ongoing collaboration between bishops and laity. The election's outcome will shape how these reforms continue to unfold across Germany.
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