Which path will German bishops take on the ‘synodal council’?

The Vatican has said ‘nein’ to the creation of a new permanent decision-making body for the Church in Germany. Will it make any difference?

Bishop Georg Bätzing said Monday that he has written to three Vatican cardinals after they ruled out a German proposal to create a permanent “synodal council” of lay people and bishops with governing powers over the Catholic Church in Germany.

The chairman of the German bishops’ conference said Feb. 27 that he had explained in an as yet unpublished lette…