Continue work for the renewal of the Church

“I am glad that we in the Archdiocese are taking these different paths to the renewal of the church,” emphasized Pastor Ludger Hojenski, who is involved in the synodal path as a representative of the Paderborn Priests’ Council. He went to Frankfurt with mixed feelings, a certain amount of pressure was noticeable in advance due to the current situation. “The local believers are now even more aware of the synodal path,” reports the pastor that he was spoken to by people before, during and after the meeting.

“I’m actually impressed that all action texts were approved with a clear majority or approved for further work,” said Ludger Hojenski, summing up that the assembly had taken the first courageous steps. Nevertheless, one should not forget that believers would be unsettled by the intended changes. “I take this feedback seriously, but I trust that Jesus Christ is working in his church,” explains the Dortmund pastor, explaining that the assembly “is not only verbose, but also spiritual.” The joint prayer, the celebration of the Eucharist, musical interruptions and many conversations about matters of faith would give room for spirituality.

Ludger Hojenski’s hope is that the synodal path can make a good contribution to the renewal of the church. The Catholic Church in Germany, the dioceses, can implement some topics themselves, others would have to be negotiated at the level of the universal church – “there will definitely be disappointments and surprises.” But the hope remains: “I visit with my guitar once a month the kindergarten. During the last visit, it became very clear to me why this path is necessary: ​​it is about the future of the church for these children. I want to do something for that.”

–