Cardinal Marx’s resignation calls for reform in Church

By Virginia Saldanha

Mumbai: The resignation of Cardinal Reinhard Marx, head of the diocese of Munich and Freising in Germany, came as a shock to many in the world, especially those of us who have been following closely the response or lack of it to the sex abuse crisis in the institutional Church.

I have euphoric memories of Cardinal Marx addressing the press meetings during the Bishops’ Meeting in Rome in 2019 that was convened to address the Sex Abuse of minors in the Church. His strong call for transparency and accountability gave hope to the hundreds of survivors and advocates gathered in Rome and scattered all over the world.

His resignation dated May 21, was released to the press on June 4, which closely followed the release of the revisions to Penal Sanctions in Canon Law. I wonder if there is a connection.

At the outset he points out to the fact that “this crisis has also been caused by our (bishops) own failure, by our (bishops) own guilt.” He certainly knew of the changes in Canon Law. Why then did he say “my impression is that we are at a ‘dead-end’”?

As a true and sincere follower of Jesus he does not stop there at the ‘dead-end’, he points to his “paschal hope” that this dead end could also be a turning point.

He repeatedly points to the Paschal Mystery of death and resurrection in his resignation letter, – to ends and new beginnings of hope.

Citing “recent debates that have shown that some members of the Church refuse to believe that there is a shared responsibility in this respect, that the Church as an institution is hence also to be blamed for what has happened, and therefore disapprove of discussing reforms and renewal in the context of the sexual abuse crisis”, Cardinal Marx offers his opinion for “changes and reform in the Church to bring about a turning point in this crisis.

He said the turning point is “only possible if we take a synodal path”, a path which actually enables a “discernment of spirits” as Pope Francis has repeatedly emphasized and reiterated in his letter to the Church in Germany.

Recently, Pope Francis also decided to change the date of the Synod of 2022 to 2023 to give the Church in the world a chance to follow the Synodal path at the diocesan & national levels, followed by the continental level, before the Bishops gather in Rome in October 2023.

However, there is a lot of skepticism among the People of God, whether this Synodal path will really work. Will the voices of all the People of God be heard in the Synodal process that has been chalked out?

It is well known that in the Church, especially at the diocesan level, the “inconvenient” voices are easily filtered out. Voices calling for changes, especially the voices of survivors of abuse and the voices of women are always marginalized.

The success of the Synodal path chalked out by Pope Francis will depend on the sincerity of the bishops. So far only one man at the ecclesiastical level has had the courage to stand up and be counted, Cardinal Marx.

The resignation of Cardinal Marx, comes at a time when, as he recognizes, ‘the reputation of the Bishops is severely damaged and at its lowest in the ecclesiastical and secular perception’. He repeatedly emphasizes the failure of the institution and the need of bishops to take responsibility. So, he himself has set an example by his resignation.

“I believe one possibility to express this willingness to take over responsibility is my resignation. In doing so, I may be able to send a personal signal for a new beginning, for a new awakening of the Church, not only in Germany. I would like to show that not the ministry is in the foreground, but the mission of the Gospel. This too is an element of the pastoral care.”

Cardinal Marx’s resignation demonstrates the core of gospel leadership. The message is: Clinging to titles or positions and protection of the institution, pales before the mission of the Gospel which includes pastoral care.

He ends with a dedication of himself “to pastoral care and support for an ecclesiastical renewal of the Church” which Pope Francis calls for incessantly.

I am sure lay leaders all over the world will be deeply heartened by not just the significance of the resignation of Cardinal Marx, but also by his emphasis on the process of renewal.

Women leaders are the biggest skeptics, because down the centuries their voices have persistently been kept out of Synod halls by virtue of the fact that their biology prohibits them from leadership positions in the Church. This decision to keep women out is attributed to God. But are not women also made in the image and likeness of God? What other qualification is needed for ministry in the Church except that one is baptized, driven by gospel values and dedicated to servant leadership?

Cardinal Marx’s resignation is momentous because it comes with a strong message to the Bishops of the world, urging the Church towards Reform. Only substantial reform can help the Church remain relevant and authentic in an age where the world is coming apart because patriarchy and its institutions of religion, politics and economics are leading to destruction of life, contrary to Jesus’ mission to bring life in abundance to all.