The synodal path was decided in 2019 as a reaction to the so-called MHG study on sexual abuse in the German church in order to regain lost trust. Since then, clerics and laypeople have discussed topics such as the role of women in the church, Catholic sexual morality, the understanding of the priesthood including compulsory celibacy and church power structures. The Vatican warned of a split in the church because of the reform course.

Bishop Bätzing said: "The synodal path neither leads to division nor is it the beginning of a national church." He also wants to introduce the resolutions passed in the synodal assembly to the world synod that Pope Francis initiated and that will also discuss church reforms in October.

The synodal made a total of 15 resolutions during the consultations that have been going on since Thursday. One of the most important is that women should also be able to become deaconess in the future - this is the lowest ordination office in the Catholic Church and comes under the priesthood. A clear majority of the bishops also approved of this.

However, only Pope Francis can decide on the admission of women as deacons. The German bishops can implement other resolutions such as the blessing of homosexual couples themselves in their dioceses. However, it is not clear whether all bishops will do so.

At the forefront of the synodal path were Bishop Bätzing and Irme Stetter-Karp, President of the Central Committee of German Catholics, the supreme lay representation. Stetter-Karp said of the overall results achieved, "without a doubt I would have wished for more". However, the synodal path shows a major change. A great success of the deliberations is that all reform issues are now on the table.

As successes, Stetter-Karp mentioned that women will be allowed to preach in the future and that the pope should be asked to examine compulsory celibacy for priests. There is a fundamental need for reform, warned the lay representative. "This church cannot remain as it is."

Stetter-Karp admitted that the greatest shortcoming was that it had not been possible to really change the structure of the church. "Anyone who takes the abuse scandal seriously must clearly work on structural changes," warned Stetter-Karp. A small number of bishops in Germany want to prevent this.

Bätzing said he saw great opportunities in the synodal committee that had been decided. This is to follow up on the reform issues. However, the bishop does not expect an end to the wave of people leaving the Catholic Church for the time being. "We will not see any significant change in these exit numbers." Many who are leaving are already too far removed from the Church. For believers active in the church, however, the resolutions could give the signal that something is going on.