German laity hope that the next pope will bring more equality and diversity, according to the head of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK).
ZdK president Irme Stetter-Karp told German media group Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland that 96% of Catholics urgently expect reforms from their church.
Stetter-Karp said that many want the Catholic church “to recognize the diversity of life and of believers. It is about women being able to participate equally in the church, for example as priests,” she told the group.
Stetter-Karp said that laypeople in Germany are also questioning celibacy rules as well as the way homosexuality and same-sex partnerships are dealt with.
Structurally, many laypeople are concerned with overcoming clericalism and are demanding participation in power within the Church, as well as accountability and transparency from its leadership.
In terms of contraception, however, there are probably no longer any particular expectations of a new pope.
“The truth is that when it comes to contraception, many believers no longer look to the catechism for guidance. And not just young people, but also people of my generation,” said the 69-year-old.
The ZdK represents the Catholic laity, the non-clergy in local parishes. Together with the German Bishops’ Conference, the ZdK initiated a reform process in 2019, the Synodal Path.
However, this met with considerable resistance in the Roman Curia, the central administration in Rome. Recently, there has been a renewed rapprochement.
Pope Francis died at 88 on Monday after suffering a stroke, followed by a coma and heart failure, having in recent weeks battled acute respiratory failure, arterial hypertension and other ailments.
The date for the conclave to choose his successor is expected to be announced next week.
