German Catholic bishops welcome initiative to change Church teaching on sexuality

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He added: “This topic is also being discussed at the Synodal Way of the Catholic Church in Germany. This is where I join in the discussion. This should lead to a further development of the sexual morality of the Church and also of the labor law of the Church.

The initiative calls for an overhaul of employment laws in the Catholic Church in Germany, the country’s second largest employer after the state.

“An open life according to sexual orientation and gender identity, even within the framework of a partnership or a civil marriage, should never be considered as a breach of loyalty or grounds for dismissal”, reads -on in one of its claims.

Heße’s comments were echoed by Bishop Franz-Josef Bode of Osnabrück in northwestern Germany, who said he appreciated the campaign as “a brave step by 125 homosexual employees of the Catholic Church throughout the country”.

He added that the initiative called for a “long overdue debate” on Church labor law.

“In labor law, the loyalty of Church employees is closely linked to their way of life. Individual arrangements are possible, and these are sought with sensitivity and to the best of our abilities in our diocese,” he said.

“But individual solutions always create uncertainty. There is an urgent need to find reliable solutions for all parties. The process of reforming the synodal path is working on this.

He said the topic would be discussed at the next meeting of the Synodal Assembly, the top decision-making body of the Synodal Way, from February 3-5.

“The fundamental message of the Church is God’s unconditional love for all people — in their diversity and their uniqueness. This must also apply to all relationships, provided they are based on love and mutual respect,” he commented.

Bishop Heinrich Timmerevers of Dresden-Meißen, East Germany, noted that he was “very grateful” for the “impressive testimonies” collected by the campaign.

Several German Catholic associations have also expressed their support.

Priests and pastoral workers across Germany challenged the Vatican in May 2021 by holding blessing ceremonies attended by same-sex couples.

Organizers staged a day of protest in response to the statement by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that the Church does not have the power to bless same-sex unions.

The Vatican statement, released with the approval of Pope Francis, sparked protests across the German-speaking Catholic world.

Several bishops expressed support for same-sex couple blessings, while churches displayed LGBT pride flags and a group of more than 200 theology professors signed a statement criticizing the Vatican.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “The number of men and women who have deep homosexual tendencies is not negligible.

“This inclination, objectively disordered, constitutes for the majority of them a test. They must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Any signs of unjust discrimination against them should be avoided.

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