Renardo Schlegelmilch

It's no secret that the German Catholic Church's reform project is a thorn in Pope Francis' side, writes commentator Renardo Schlegelmilch. But Francis' latest letter on the subject came as a surprise for just about everyone.

Why do so many German bishops want to leave office? The story goes deeper than you might think.

Same-sex blessings and other reforms won't start immediately in German parishes. But the decisions of the country's Catholic bishops will have consequences far beyond Germany.

Commentary: A statement published through official Holy See channels warned Germany's "Synodal Path" reform project against breaking with the universal church. Tensions are rising: Is the threat of schism real?

Commentary: The Synodal Path, established unanimously by the German bishops' conference, cannot provide binding resolutions, neither on Catholic teaching for Germany (as some fear) nor on anything at all, as every decision must be ratified by each bishop for his own diocese.