German bishops’ leader claims papal support for Synodal Path (National Catholic Register)

Bishop Georg Bätzing, the president of the German bishops’ conference, met on June 24 with Pope Francis, and afterward told reporters that the Pontiff had “encouraged us to continue on the Synodal Path we have chosen.” He said that he had discussed the German bishops’ controversial plans with the Pope “in detail,” and assured him that the Synodal Path would not break the unity of the Church—despite the German bishops’ plans to depart from Church teaching on sexuality and intercommunion.