Maria 1.0 at the fifth Synodal Assembly

On Thursday, March 9, the fifth and last Synodal Assembly opened in Frankfurt. Maria 1.0 was there with a delegation of fourteen people. (Pictures and video below)

Our leader Clara Steinbrecher had already arrived the day before for the purpose of a television appointment. On Thursday a ZDF TV team appeared twice in the hotel to make recordings for the program 37°, which was broadcast on Sunday:

https://www.zdf.de/dokumentation/37-grad-leben/update-gescheitert-kirche-im-reformversuch-102.html

On Thursday at noon, we gathered with a group of supporters for a demonstration in front of the Kap Europa Congress House where the Assembly was meeting. We prayed for the bishops and other synod members, and Mrs. Steinbrecher gave a short speech. At the same place a group of the organization TFP gathered, which had come in similar concerns. A counter-demo was composed of various groups, such as Maria 2.0. We got into conversation with bystanders, counterdemonstrators, but also with bishops and other synod members. We were also approached by various members of the press.

In the afternoon, we followed the first day of the meeting from our hotel room on the livestream. We particularly regret the adoption of the basic text from the priests' forum, which tries to put long-settled issues to the test again, which will probably lead to further confusion and disappointed expectations.

Throughout the day, members of the team were engaged in various tasks, such as conducting brief interviews or distributing promotional materials at the demonstration (thanks again to our supporters who made the new media design possible).

Of course, we wanted to be visible in Frankfurt until the end of the assembly.

After watching the livestream spellbound on Friday and watching with horror the satanic elements in the performance "responsible:me", which according to official statements was supposed to serve the purpose of coming to terms with abuse, as well as the further delay of the synodal resolutions, we forced ourselves to leave the Land of Nod bright and early on Saturday morning, since the nightmare was to begin early, at eight o'clock.

Part of our team persevered at the livestream until mid-afternoon, while a second section headed off to provide reinforcement to a like-minded youth group at a faith rally. Mrs. Steinbrecher went from there to another television appointment.

In the afternoon, many people of all ages prayed the rosary in front of the cathedral while the synodal delegates filed in for the closing mass, which featured elements such as lay preaching and deviation from liturgical requirements. This time our entire delegation joined in.

During the exit from the cathedral, the synodal delegates were again awaited by us since we stayed in front of the cathedral the whole time to stand up for our concerns. Afterwards we had some conversations with participants of the demonstration and passers-by.

Before our departure, which for most of us was on Sunday, there was three quarters of an hour of eucharistic adoration in the Church of the Teutonic Order on Saturday evening, which we took part in and where we could also recharge our “batteries”. “Much rather, then, will I boast of my weakness, that the power of Christ may descend upon me.” (2 Cor. 12:9b) We too are nothing without Christ, and without His assistance we could do none of the things we set out to do. But “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13). Pray for us, too. In the spiritual battle we are in, no prayer is too much.