Cardinals and Bishops•Controversies•Local Church

Controversial Antwerp bishop expands on his idea of ordaining married men and shares his thoughts on women

Bonny proposes exploring new forms of ecclesial ministry for both men and women, particularly in light of unresolved debates about the role of women in ordained ministry

Apr 03, 2026 21:24

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Local Church•Vatican Diplomacy

Prague Blocks Vatican Pact: Confession Secrecy and Church Archives at the Heart of Constitutional Clash

The agreement, signed in Prague in October 2024 by then–Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, was intended to define the legal framework governing the Catholic Church’s status in the Czech Republic

Apr 02, 2026 21:34

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Testimonies

After Reason, What Remains? The Death of Jürgen Habermas and His Unfinished Dialogue with Faith

What endures most is perhaps not a system, but a question—one that Habermas himself left unresolved. Can modern societies, built on pluralism and procedural reason, sustain the moral depth required for their own survival? Or do they depend, in ways they cannot fully acknowledge, on traditions—religious among them—that precede and exceed rational justification?

Mar 16, 2026 10:36

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Pro Life

Luxembourg approves the killing of babies in the womb as a constitutional right

The deeper question is not only legal but anthropological. Constitutional language reflects a society’s understanding of human dignity and the role of the state in safeguarding — or limiting — individual autonomy

Mar 04, 2026 09:39

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Cardinals and Bishops•Local Church

Heiner Wilmer takes the helm of the German Bishops’ Conference: he will present the controversial Synodal Conference to the Vatican

During the same plenary assembly, the bishops approved the statutes of the future Synodal Conference, intended as a permanent body bringing together bishops and representatives of the Central Committee of German Catholics. The text has been sent to Rome for recognitio, the formal approval required for canonical validity.

Feb 25, 2026 22:44

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Local Church•Protection of vulnerable people

Catholic Church in Switzerland expands mandatory psychological evaluation as a condition for priestly ministry

Between April and December 2025, a total of 72 candidates were assessed across all dioceses in the country. The group included seminarians as well as lay pastoral workers—theologically trained collaborators who carry out catechetical, educational, and pastoral responsibilities

Feb 07, 2026 22:06

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Local Church

Germany: Catholic excluded for the first time because of his political views

Vatican Upholds Removal of German AfD Lawmaker from Parish Council, Marking a Rare Intervention in Church–Politics Relations

Jan 29, 2026 10:58

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Cardinals and Bishops•Local Church

“We cannot vote on the Resurrection”: Cardinal of Cologne absent from German Synodal Path meeting and considers it over

The German Synodal Path has become a test case for how far local churches can go before they collide with the apostolic structure of Catholicism itself. For the Cardinal of Cologne, the line has already been crossed

Jan 29, 2026 10:42

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Cardinals and Bishops•Vatican City

With Leo XIV, “normality is slowly returning” to the Vatican… according to Benedict XVI’s private secretary

After meeting Pope Leo XIV twice in 2025, most recently in mid-December, the German prelate said he sensed a renewed calm taking hold. For him, the word that best captures the moment is “normality.”

Jan 26, 2026 22:22

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Cardinals and Bishops•Local Church

The German bishop who brought the local Catholic Church to the brink of schism announces that he will not seek re-election

Bätzing leaves behind a Church that is, by many measures, more fragmented than when he took office, though few observers would place the responsibility solely on his shoulders

Jan 20, 2026 18:08

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Local Church•Vocations

Austria Opens a New Path to the Priesthood for Midlife Professionals

The conference has stressed that the initiative aligns fully with Vatican norms, particularly those outlined in the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis, the foundational document governing priestly formation worldwide

Jan 07, 2026 17:46

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Pope Francis•Pope Leo XIV

Germans trust Leo XIV more than Islam: new survey results released

Data released from a representative Forsa poll indicate that 28 percent of Germans now say they place high or very high trust in the Pope

Dec 24, 2025 19:44

Joachin Meisner Hertz