in april 2018, woelki led a group of seven bishops who appealed to the vatican after germany's bishops approved a proposal to allow protestant spouses of catholics to receive the eucharist. woelki described the controversy as an issue of "life or death." the proposal was rejected on may 25 by cardinal-elect luis ladaria ferrer, prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, who said that there were "a series of problems of considerable importance."