The opinion of the German Young Catholic Federation (BDKJ) about the Synod on youth is positive. National President Thomas Andonie – one of the 49 officers – was quite satisfied, on the whole. Now, for him, one thing is crucial: “The Synod showed us that important questions for young people are part of the Church; questions are posed and debate arises, there is dialogue, and everyone has a chance to express his opinion. That principle is now followed by the Church on all levels – from the bishops’ conference to the parish – for that is the path to be followed”. Thomas Andonie said: “It was a great honour for me to represent the youth of Germany, here at the Synod. We made good progress on some questions, such as the question of women as leaders in the Church. Synod’s requests have to be carried out with no delay; for sure, our bishops in Germany will be supported by the BDKJ”. Andonie is satisfied about the Synod’s approach to the theme of sexual abuses: “It was important for the Synod to deal with this issue. This kind of injustice must be faced, fought and eliminated resolutely, in single cases as well as structurally”. However, Andonie was critical on the relation of the Church with homosexuality: “As for the way in which the Church faces relationships between same-sex people, I realize that many bishops still find it difficult to accept the people as they are. And there is much tension among bishops. We should be more daring, and above all, we should trust young people to a higher extent”.