Cardinal Walter Kasper expressed his support for the results of the late completed General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Vatican XVI. The synod was "a truly historical event"; the subject of synodality "can no longer be deleted from the table," he said in a conversation with the net portal "communio.de". According to the German purple, the final paper is definitely binding – its reception will now be decisive.
In the controversial issue of the deaconate of women card. Kasper advocated greater openness. As he admitted, he now sees that “there are legitimate reasons that make beginning a permanent deaconate for women theologically possible and pastorally justified”. At the same time, he pointed out the openness of the universal Church to this issue, which was "not settled by the Magisterium in a binding manner".
The cardinal besides stressed that he spoke of permanent deacons, not about the ordination of the deaconate as a transitional phase for priestly ordination. The argument for the anticipation of sacrificing women as deacons is that Western and east Churches knew this office in the early centuries," said the cardinals. Kasper in an interview with the editor-in-chief of “Communio” Jan-Heiner Tück. Nor can it be said that the ordination of the deaconis was not a sacrament at the time, since these theological terms developed only later. It is inappropriate to see the ordination at this time only as sacramentals, or only as symbolic blessings, due to the fact that “the fact that, as far as I know, the formulas of the ordination of deacons and deaconis were the same is besides the opposite.”
The German cardinal besides did not convince the argument that women cannot accept the ordination of the deacon, due to the fact that the ordination of the deaconate, the presbyterate and the episcopate are an inseparable sacrament of ordination. Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013) made it clear that unlike the priests and bishops of the Deacons, they do not represent Jesus Christ as the head of the Church. In addition, the ordination of the bishops was yet recognized as a sacrament only at the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). "There were, therefore, and there are considerable differences within 1 sacrament of ordination, as well as historical situations which were oriented towards pastoral needs," said the cardinal. Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for the Unity of Christians from 2001 to 2010.
Card. Kasper defends against criticism besides the final paper of the synod. He stressed that anyone who immediately rejects this paper as a "non-binding option", "hits the synod and all those who have worked for more than 2 years and are now grateful that the agreement of Pope Francis made it possible to enter into force a paper passed by a immense two-thirds majority."
The course of the synod itself is besides commendable: the quality of the debate in individual sessions has improved considerably – there has been a "learning process", the way of spiritual conversation has worked," said the German cardinal. It has besides become clear that "Europe is no longer the centre of the planet present and will no longer be in the future". "The strong confederate wind" and the young Churches of the Global South make Europe "looking a small old".
Concerning the issue of sexual abuse referred to in Article 55 of the Final Document, cardinal. Casper stated that although it was not discussed exhaustively, the four-week synod could not deal with all the crucial issues in the same detail. However, "while emphasising listening, attention, designation and respect, especially for susceptible people, the synod indirectly made a crucial contribution to addressing the problem of exploitation". "The same applies to the designation that synodality is an even frontal attack on clericalism, and the work to regularly account for the bishop is at the same time a primary preventive measurement against concealing" cases of exploitation, noted the German hierarch.
Card. Kasper besides welcomed the discussion on the future position of the Bishops' Conference and the relations between the universal and local churches. The subject has been discussed since the Second Vatican Council, recalled the cardinal, and the novelty is that “today we are yet discussing this issue “officially” in the general ecclesiological context of unity in diversity or better: the diversity of local churches within the unity of the universal Church”.
Source: KAI