Will the German Bishops Defy Pope Francis?

Has the Vatican’s strategy to contain the controversial German Synodal Way had any effect? We’re about to find out. The German bishops are set to meet Feb. 19-22 in Augsburg for their annual Spring plenary assembly, and the stakes couldn’t be much higher. A major question hanging over the gathering is whether the bishops will take the next step towards establishing a Synodal Council, a permanent body of bishops and laity to govern the Catholic Church in Germany, which has been explicitly forbidden by the Vatican and criticized by Pope Francis.