Will Pope Leo approve Germany’s synodal conference?

The new national synodal body currently exists only on paper and can’t be established without Vatican approval.

One of the most pressing issues that Pope Leo XIV will face in 2026 is whether to approve a new national body for the Catholic Church in Germany.

ZdK president Irme Stetter-Karp and German bishops’ conference chairman Bishop Georg Bätzing attend a synodal committee meeting in Fulda on Nov. 22, 2025. Credit: Synodaler Weg / Marko Orlovic.

The first meeting…