“The great ship of yesterday’s traditional Christianity is sinking to the bottom, and we should not waste time pushing the deck chairs back and forth on the Titanic,” said Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, president of German bishops’ conference, quoting a Czech theologian.

“Comprehensive reforms and changes are demanded within the framework of [the German bishops’] Synodal Path,” Bishop Bätzing added, as he mentioned “admonishing words or clarifications from the Roman Curia” on “questions that are considered to have been answered long ago in our enlightened and freedom-loving society”—a likely reference to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s recent document against Church blessings for same-sex unions.