On August 21, 2026, Germany's top bishop admitted the Synodal Path's most controversial questions were never actually resolved – just paused. That bishop is Heiner Wilmer, the new chairman of the German Bishops' Conference.
In an interview with Kirche+Leben, Wilmer said plainly: "The issues haven't been resolved; they will continue to be addressed. They are part of the World Synod!" Germany's reform agenda didn't end – it just folded into the larger, global Synod on Synodality.
In March, the German bishops formally asked Rome for permission to let trained laypeople preach the homily during Mass. Cardinal Arthur Roche rejected that request outright in a letter dated June 17. His reasoning: the priest's role in preaching is tied to the very nature of the liturgy itself.
Wilmer respected the decision – but said Münster's pastoral workers would "find a good way to deal with the circumstances." That's a notably soft landing for a direct Vatican rejection.
A proposed "Synodal Conference" – a permanent national body for bishops and laity – is still sitting in Rome awaiting approval. Formal Vatican rejection doesn't necessarily mean an issue is closed in Germany. It just means the conversation moves to Rome's own October meeting instead.
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