German bishops’ leader sees ‘middle way’ on council of laity and bishops

Bishop Georg Bätzing said Friday that while he thought the Vatican was wrong to block the creation of a “synodal council,” he believed there was a “fallback option” for German bishops.

The chairman of Germany’s bishops’ conference said in an interview published Friday that he sees a possible “middle way” after the Vatican nixed a proposed permanent decision-making body of bishops and lay people.

Bishop Georg Bätzing told the Die Welt newspaper that while he thought the Vatican was wrong to block the creation of a “synodal council,” he …