The road towards the future

A special feature marked the plenary assembly of German bishops, held in Fulda past October 4-7. Indeed, the recent apostolic visitation of Benedict XVI to Germany has occupied most of the bishops’ consultations. All 69 members of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) have assessed the effects of the pope’s visit on the particular situation of the German Catholic Church, called to coexist with the Protestant Church, to promote ecumenism and develop its ongoing internal dialogue. Follows an excerpt of the highlights of the meeting conveyed by Msgr. Zolltish in a meeting with the press at the end of the plenary. Supported by German bishops. “The bishops are grateful for the Apostolic Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Germany”, said Msgr. Robert Zollitsch, DBK President, in the press conference held October 7. “We consider it a historical visit from the viewpoint of its manifold dimensions”, he continued, and recalled that “360 000 people took part in the celebrations with the Pope, 3, 600 media officers followed the event. I’m not exaggerating in saying that the days with Pope Benedict XVI have been an event for the whole of Germany, and the object of major interest at national and international level. The visit of the Holy Father shed light on – and reinforced – Church unity. The Pope”, Msgr. Zollitsch said, “is aware of the support of German bishops”. Distant from clichés. Msgr. Zollitsch conveyed the bishops’ wish to “recover and put to fruition the numerous impulses that are precious for our mission”. During the plenary the bishops discussed the speeches and the homilies delivered by the Pope. The archbishop of Freiburg remarked: “The visit of the Holy Father cannot be analysed with the lenses of superficial political interpretations nor according to the clichés often used by the press. For Pope Benedict what counted and what still counts is simply the Christian faith and the fundamental nucleus of the Gospel: the human being that is fulfilled in God”, he underlined. Msgr. Zollitsch continued by saying that “the speech in the Bundestag was fundamental and brilliant. It enabled reflection on the part of those who thought they could manipulate the pope to their own advantage and who have therefore deserted the speech”. Ecumenism. “In Erfurt, the Pope made a gesture of closeness to the reformer Martin Luther. His speech upholding the importance of our common faith as the springboard of all ecumenical efforts, prevents the risk of misinterpretations leading to a superficial understanding of ecumenism”. Some have conveyed their disappointment over the fact that Pope Benedict did not propose concrete steps for ecumenical reconciliation”, Msgr. Zollitsch remarked. “Maybe the gesture which this meeting represents is being misunderstood if – in the logic of political processes – concrete results are being demanded. In any case, the fulfilment of concrete impulses stemming from the ecumenical encounter in Erfurt are now entrusted to the dialogue between the German Bishops’ Conference and the Council of the German Evangelical Church”. Msgr. Zollitsch has invited to reflect on the fact that “the truly important aspect of the ecumenical encounter is the venue of the meeting. Who would have thought, 50 years ago, that a Pope would have crossed the threshold of the convent where Martin Luther served as a monk?” Msgr. Zollitsch asked. Renewed force to continue the journey. “The Visit of pope Benedict XVI has made us stronger in the continuation of our journey”, Msgr. Zollitsch said, referring to the future prospects of the German Catholic Church, notably the dialogue undertaken at internal level. “With reason, the Pope guards against many structures and reminds us that we have to focus, beyond reflections and action, on the nucleus of Christian faith and on the proclamation of faith. This is compatible with a process of dialogue”, which, he added, “is a means to proclaim the Word and especially to recover trust. In this process we will follow the instructions of the Holy Father and shed light on his orientations”.