Plzeň Bishop on the Ongoing Diocesan Synod

The Diocese of Plzeň, which borders the German (arch)dioceses of Bamberg, Dresden-Meissen, and Regensburg, launched a diocesan synod last year. The diocese plans to discuss its path into the future until next year. In the interview, Bishop Tomáš Holub discusses the reasons for the synod, its content, and the atmosphere of the consultations conducted so far. The fifty-seven-year-old bishop also provides a comparison with the synodal way of the Catholic Church in Germany (Der Synodale Weg, see also HERE). Translation of the article on katholisch.de.

Question: Bishop Holub, your diocese initiated a three-year diocesan synod last year. Why?

Tomáš Holub: Our diocese, like many others, faces significant challenges. At the heart of these challenges is the question of how we can concretely help the people in our diocese to encounter Christ in the future. This is primarily a missionary and pastoral question. However, the answer also depends on specific financial and personnel requirements, which are unlikely to improve in the coming years. The diocesan synod aims to create a space where we can collectively face these challenges in an atmosphere of trust and seek answers.

Question: Did you decide to call the diocesan synod yourself, or was the decision to convene it already a joint process?

Tomáš Holub: The decision for the synod was primarily a sign from God. At least that's how I felt when I reflected on the situation of the diocese during a retreat and the idea of a synod came to me in prayer as a suitable space for discussing the challenges ahead. I believe that the central questions concerning the future of the diocese should not be answered solely by the bishop or a small group, but rather by many people in a synodal manner, if possible.

Question: What role did Pope Francis play in your decision to support your diocesan synod and the strengthening of synodal processes under his leadership, including the World Synod on Synodality?

Tomáš Holub: A very significant role. Our diocesan synod is, if you like, a direct result of the world Synod on Synodality, and I am very grateful to Pope Francis for opening the window of synodality wide open. We are trying to live and realize on a small scale what has been demonstrated on a large scale in Rome in the last two years.

Question: The motto of your synod is Together with Hope: Living in Christ in the Midst of Today's Reality. What do you want to express with this motto?

Tomáš Holub: As Christians, we journey together with Christ, we live with him and from him. At the same time, as Christians, we live in a society where most people have never heard of Christ or have consciously decided against him. We must confront this reality and the associated challenges — even more so in the future than today. The synod should create space for that.

Question: You have already indicated that your synod addresses three main themes: mission, organization, and management. Can you explain in more detail why you chose these three topics?

Tomáš Holub: First of all, the diocesan synod can only deal with topics that are within the competence of the dioceses and that can be decided upon there. Thus, fundamental issues concerning the teaching of the Church as a whole, which can only be decided by the pope or a council, cannot be the subject of the diocesan synod. Our goal was to address the central issues facing our diocese as specifically as possible. And as I mentioned before, it fundamentally revolves around how and by what means we can bring Christ to the people here. What organizational structure and how many priests do we need to share the joyful message of the Gospel with everyone in our diocese? And how can we achieve this with our limited financial resources?

Question: Have you already found answers to these questions during the consultations conducted so far?

Tomáš Holub: We haven't gotten that far yet. We have divided the synod into three phases. In the first phase last year, we first addressed the current situation in our diocese. In the second phase this year, we want to formulate our goals and possible ways to achieve them. In the third phase, we will then ask next year what decisions need to be made.

Question: When you look at the current situation, what is the greatest challenge of the mission in your diocese?

Tomáš Holub: The greatest challenge is that our church structures are not at all adapted to make our diocese a missionary area. Our structures — for example, the way pastoral staff is distributed and financial resources — have not yet been able to respond to the reality of secular society in the 21st century. If we want to mediate a connection with Christ to the people in our country, we must become much more missionary in our structures.

Image: Bishop Tomáš Holub in conversation with delegates of the general assembly of the Plzeň diocesan synod at the end of October 2024

Question: The topics of organization and management mainly revolve around the human and financial resources of your diocese. What is your situation in this regard?

Tomáš Holub: Measured by the number of our parishes and the number of believers, we still have enough priests at the moment. However, the number of vocations has been declining for some time. In a few years, we will have to settle for a significantly smaller number of priests. This poses a big problem for us, especially considering the additional challenges that our diocese is very rural and the believers are very dispersed. We therefore need to cover a large area with significant distances — and with an ever-decreasing number of priests.

Question: And management?

Tomáš Holub: Currently, we are managing with still solid finances — but we cannot afford to make big leaps. I wouldn’t say we are poor, but we need to carefully consider what we can and cannot afford. And that certainly will not get easier in the coming years.

Question: You already mentioned that your synod is divided into three phases. The first phase ended last autumn. What is your interim conclusion?

Tomáš Holub: Very positive. We succeeded in entering a mutual dialogue in an atmosphere of trust and recognition and in collectively analyzing the current state of our diocese despite differing positions and views. A good spirit of cooperation was especially evident at the general assembly of the synod at the end of October. I have the impression that all delegates came closer together into a synodal community in the first year, and I hope that we will experience this positive atmosphere in the upcoming discussions as well.

Question: The synodal assembly of the Synodal Way of the Catholic Church in Germany has not always been as harmonious as you describe your synod. Do you have any explanation for this atmospheric difference?

Tomáš Holub: I think it has two main reasons. First, I decided right at the beginning that we would not livestream our synod meetings — in contrast to the Synodal Way in Germany. This means that our debates can genuinely take place in a protected space, where there is no performance involved, but rather collaborative discussions and joint search for solutions.

Question: And the second?

Tomáš Holub: Unlike our brothers and sisters in Germany, we focus on topics for which we have decision-making authority at the diocesan level - as established by canon law for diocesan synods. I believe that it is motivating for delegates over the long term when they can concretely influence the development of their local church with their work rather than primarily dealing with questions that can only be resolved in Rome.

Question: Looking ahead to the planned conclusion of your synod next year: What is your goal? What do you hope for?

Tomáš Holub: I hope that by the end of the synod, we will reach common decisions that bring us closer to our goal of connecting as many people in our diocese with Christ as possible. It is clear that this requires changes in our structures but also in our thinking. What these changes must look like will be the subject of further consultations that I do not wish to preempt.

Question: Based on your experiences so far: Are you glad you initiated the diocesan synod?

Tomáš Holub: Not only glad — I am enthusiastic and grateful that we have embarked on this journey together in our diocese, and for the way we are navigating it together. Based on our experiences so far, I can only warmly recommend that other dioceses embark on such a journey as well.

Steffen Zimmermann
katholisch.de