Spanish Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela criticized the controversial Synodal Way of the Catholic Church in Germany, noting that the devil will not defeat the resurrection of Christ.

Cardinal Rouco, who is the archbishop emeritus of Madrid, made his remarks during a course on canon law at the University of Navarra focused on Praedicate Evangelium, the apostolic constitution issued by Pope Francis reforming the Roman Curia.

The cardinal said that the controversial Synodal Way in Germany “has a defect in form” and “is more of a superstructure than a reality that arises from the heart of the Church.”

The Spanish cardinal noted that the Synodal Way “has been very well received in the world by the prevailing social trends of thought. It has been strengthened from the outside, influencing and having effects within.”

“This makes manifest that faith is light and that we have to make an examination of conscience and take holiness more seriously, because we have allowed ourselves to be won over to a great extent by materialistic trends,” he added.

The archbishop emeritus of Madrid referred to a passage from the Book of Revelation and said that “the great battle for the salvation of the world has been settled from the beginning because the triumph of the Risen One is definitive, and no one can overcome it.”

“The power of the devil is not going to defeat the Resurrection, but the battle must be fought; the passion of Christ must be completed, as St. Paul says,” the cardinal explained.

The Synodal Way is a controversial multiyear process that began in December 2019 and involves German bishops and laity in addressing issues such as the exercise of “power” in the Church, sexual morality, the priesthood, and the role of women in the Church, issues on which they have expressed, publicly and on various occasions, positions contrary to Catholic doctrine.

These positions have given rise to various accusations of heresy and fears of schism.

On Nov. 18, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery of Bishops, warned that the proposals of the Synodal Way “hurt the communion of the Church,” sowing “doubt and confusion among the people of God.”

Cardinal Ouellet asked the German bishops for “a moratorium” on their proposals until after the conclusion of the Synod of Synodality, the final phase of which will take place in the Vatican in 2023 and 2024.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.