Bonn, 21.03.2026 (KAP/KNA) A symposium held at the University of Bonn this week explored the legacy of Pope Francis and the future of reform within the Catholic Church, as the first anniversary of his death approaches. Discussions centered on how the church can move forward with a more collaborative and inclusive approach, reflecting the late pontiff’s vision of synodality. The event comes at a time of increasing scrutiny regarding the balance between central authority and local autonomy within the global church.
Participants at the symposium, titled “Synodality and Praedicate Evangelium – two fundamental elements of Pope Francis’s church reform,” examined the impact of *Praedicate Evangelium*, the 2022 apostolic constitution through which Pope Francis reformed the Roman Curia. The meeting, organized by the Moral Theology Chair at the University of Bonn led by Jochen Sautermeister, brought together prominent figures including Cardinals Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, Oswald Gracias, and Jean-Claude Hollerich, as well as Klara-Antonia Csiszar, a pastoral theologian from Linz, Austria, who played a key role in the Synodal Path process in Austria. German Bishops Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen and Klaus Krämer of Rottenburg-Stuttgart too attended.
Klara-Antonia Csiszar and Margit Eckholt analyzed synodal processes occurring in various regions worldwide. Csiszar, who served as a theological advisor at the World Synod, described synodality as a “counter-cyclical project” in an era marked by growing distrust of institutions. She suggested that the Church in Europe could serve as a “laboratory for church governance,” fostering participation from diverse actors and transparent procedures. “Synodalität is not a substitute for law, but it can create the climate in which legally enshrined responsibility is actually assumed,” she said.
Csiszar recalled a pastoral worker’s observation that resonated with her: “Pope Francis is not changing the major structures of the Church at all. And yet he is changing everything by wanting to change our way of being together.”
Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga, a former coordinator of the Cardinal Council established by Pope Francis, emphasized that the pontificate of the first Latin American pope cannot be understood without considering the final document from the 2007 assembly of Latin American bishops in Aparecida, Brazil. The then-Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was instrumental in drafting that text, which committed the Latin American Church to serving the poor – a commitment that continued to inspire his papacy. Rodríguez Maradiaga stressed that the “Pope of Synodality” shared the concerns of the world.
Cardinal Hollerich echoed this sentiment, noting his central role as General Relator in the 2023/2024 World Synod – a key reform initiative of Pope Francis. Hollerich stated that the concept of “times of change” was central to Francis’s thinking, and that synodality is the Church’s means of adapting to current challenges.
However, several speakers emphasized the need for a synodal conversion. Cardinal Gracias, a former member of the Cardinal Council, explained that many bishops are hesitant about synodality due to fears of losing power. “Synodality requires a conversion to service,” he stressed.
The symposium also addressed the question of how much decentralization the Church can accommodate. Pope Francis repeatedly spoke of a “healthy decentralization” as necessary for the Church. Bishop Klaus Krämer of Rottenburg-Stuttgart noted that answers to this question may vary depending on the cultural context, requiring dialogue and mutual recognition of legitimate differences in how the Church operates. “That one can mutually acknowledge that there are legitimately different paths that the Church takes, but these are expressions of one common faith.”
Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen discussed the Synodal Path of the Church in Germany within the context of the global synodal process, emphasizing the need for the German process to have the trust of the wider Church. “It needs space for its own experiences and learning steps; at the same time, however, it relies on the experiences of the world Church – not least as a helpful corrective to its own development.”
Participants acknowledged that despite considering cultural contexts, the question remains as to whether synodality can lead to concrete reforms. The Amazon Synod, for example, requested that Pope Francis allow the ordination of married men, but he did not grant that request.
Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga explained that Pope Francis had initially considered allowing the ordination of *viri probati* in the Amazon region, but ultimately refrained due to concerns about maintaining Church unity, particularly in Africa, where there was significant opposition. However, he expressed confidence that the issue of ordaining women would continue to be discussed. Cardinal Hollerich added that he anticipates continued progress on the issue of the ordination of women.
Hollerich used an analogy to describe the ongoing process: “We are on the way with Christ in the middle. There are people who walk to the right of him, there are people who walk to the left of him.” He continued, “There are people who run faster, and those who struggle to follow. But if I take Christ as a reference and look at him, then I don’t just see him alone, but also the people to his right or left. And if I go behind, I see at the same time the people who go faster in front – and vice versa.”
