Cardinal Grech at Katholikentag: ‘Questions should not discourage us'
By Christine Seuss – Würzburg
Cardinal Grech, Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Synod, was the highest-ranking Vatican representative at the 104th Katholikentag, which this year was held in Würzburg, Germany.
On Saturday, the Cardinal took part in a panel discussion on synodality at the Würzburg Congress Center, where he delivered a keynote address. On Sunday, he concelebrated the closing Mass and read a message conveying the closeness and blessing of Pope Leo.
“He remains close to you and stands wholeheartedly at your side in support of unity and communion,” Grech said. “Had he been here today, I am sure he would have told you: Take courage, rise up!”
According to the cardinal, a truly synodal Church has a future if it remains open to the Holy Spirit. “We have been richly blessed with the ministry of the local bishop for the local Church and with the Petrine ministry for the universal Church; together they can ensure that we fulfill God’s will,” he said.
Before his public appearances, Grech also toured the many stands and initiatives spread across downtown Würzburg, taking time to meet participants and engage in conversation.
In his address, he invited participants to think of synodality as a symphony in which every instrument has its own role and legitimacy, but where harmony ultimately matters most. Participation and communion, he stressed, must remain closely linked. Above all, the Church must make room for the action of the Holy Spirit and never neglect its missionary dimension.
Grech emphasized that synodality is impossible without the participation of local Churches, just as local Churches cannot be understood apart from the universal Church. Synodal decision-making, he warned, must not become a matter of political maneuvering or majority voting, but should arise from spiritual discernment rooted in listening and relationships.
At the same time, he insisted there should be no fear of difficult questions. Such questions, he said, help the Church probe more deeply into issues and better understand how synodality can be translated into everyday life. Differing views and positions within the Church should become sources of discernment and mutual enrichment rather than causes of conflict. Christians, he added, are called to respond creatively and prophetically to the needs of their communities while remaining firmly rooted in the Gospel.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Grech underlined that reflections on the role of the People of God must remain grounded in the teaching of the Second Vatican Council. Unlike previous synods focused on specific issues, he said, the Synod on Synodality is an ongoing process whose work will continue through the ecclesial assembly planned for 2028.
The following is an English translation of our interview with Cardinal Mario Grech.
Vatican News: You are here in Würzburg as the Vatican’s highest-ranking representative. What message from Pope Leo are you bringing to German Catholics?
Cardinal Grech: Pope Leo follows the life of the Church in Germany closely. He is a good father — like a good father, he accompanies all his children. I do not know how he manages it, but Pope Leo also gives this attention to the local Churches. I am therefore convinced that he accompanies the bishops in a special way, since they are ultimately his collaborators.
You are now in an environment that brings together many Catholics who may differ from one another but are united in faith. What impression has this event made on you?
It gives me great confidence, great hope. Because this is not a dead Church. It is true that people are asking questions. But that is a good thing. Questions should not discourage us; on the contrary, they are an opportunity to clarify and deepen things.
If we succeed in walking together along the path of the Catholic Church, then we need not be afraid. We must allow ourselves the necessary time, because sometimes time is needed to mature and to understand more fully. But we continue moving forward.
At times, there is a perception that the Church in Germany is viewed with some mistrust, perhaps even by the Vatican, because of the issues being so strongly debated here. What advice would you give regarding synodality, which is being strongly called for in Germany?
I can tell you that I have met many bishops from Germany, and I do not see fearful bishops. I see bishops accompanying their people. Of course, they too need help and support.
My advice is this: we are engaged in a process of reflection. We are walking on holy ground, because synodality is a key to understanding, at least in part, the will of God. And to achieve this, we need a strong spirituality.
When I visited the stands at the Katholikentag, one German participant told me: ‘Father, we need a great deal of spirituality, otherwise we risk advancing our own project rather than the will of the Lord.’
You also announced that in the coming days the Synod Secretariat will publish guidelines to accompany local Churches on the road toward the 2028 assembly. What is the central theme of that document?
It is a reflection that begins at the grassroots level — in every local Church. We are now in the phase of implementing the Synod’s final document. Every local Church is invited to translate the fruits of that document into lived synodal experience.
Through the bishops’ conferences, we will then ask everyone to share the results with us so that, in 2028, we may exchange these experiences and — why not — seek answers together wherever questions still remain.
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