The leadership of Germany’s Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) is publicly urging accelerated progress toward the formal ordination of female deacons, highlighting what they describe as a significant and pressing injustice within the Catholic Church. Irme Stetter-Karp, ZdK president, voiced her concerns in an interview with the “Rheinische Post” criticizing recent apparent setbacks from Rome regarding the ordination pathway.
Stetter-Karp argued that the global conversation surrounding women’s roles within religious institutions demands immediate and decisive action. “We are far beyond the point of crisis” she stated, “I observe that women are being presented with a boundary that is no longer unquestioned theologically”. She underscored the long history of advocacy for female deacon ordination, recalling that the Würzburg Synodal Assembly in the 1970s already saw German bishops and lay representatives championing the cause. “Why should vocations be denied simply because they are experienced by women?” she questioned.
Her remarks come at a critical juncture in the German Catholic Church’s reform process. The sixth and final synodal assembly of bishops and lay representatives is scheduled for late January in Stuttgart, preceding the formalization of reform efforts through Synodalkonferenzen. This process, however, is contingent on receiving approval from Rome for the statutes governing this new structure.
While expressing cautious optimism about securing Vatican approval, Stetter-Karp emphasized the extensive dialogue undertaken with Vatican officials over the past three years, involving both episcopal delegations and ZdK representatives. These conversations have reportedly involved detailed discussions and incorporation of suggestions within the draft statutes. “We have done everything possible” she asserted, “and therefore we have reason to enter the new year with confidence.
However, Stetter-Karp’s optimism is tempered by a broader critique of the Vatican’s pace of reform and the persistent barriers encountered by women seeking expanded roles within the Church. Her statements represent a continued challenge to the established hierarchy and a signal of the ZdK’s determination to press forward despite perceived resistance from Rome. The outcome of the upcoming Synodalkonferenzen and the eventual acceptance of the statutes will be crucial indicators of the evolving relationship between the German Catholic Church and the Vatican and the future of female leadership within the institution.