Cologne Cardinal: Defining Synodality A ‘Major Challenge’ For Church

Defining synodality is a “major challenge” for the Church, Cologne’s Cardinal Rainer Woelki has said, while also urging parity between the Novus Ordo and the traditional Mass. Cardinal Woelki has led his native Archdiocese of Cologne since September 2014, after having already been created cardinal in February 2012. In recent years he has been one of the handful of German prelates expressing scepticism about the direction of Germany’s Synodal Way. Speaking to Die Tagespost on the occasion of his 70th birthday, Woelki opined that understanding the concept of synodality would be a key part of the Church’s future and identity. “A major challenge lies in defining for the universal Church what synodality is,” he said. He referenced Pope Leo XIV’s promotion of synodality as a priority for the Church, commenting that “synodality is one side of the coin, and the other side is evangelisation.” “Synodality is a tool for evangelisation and mission,” which in Leo’s assessment – Woelki said – is “…