The German Episcopal Conference will not retaliate against the priests who on Monday defied the Pope by blessing the union of same-sex couples, in an unprecedented action within the Catholic Church and the German one, which due to its liberal disposition has maintained traditionally differences with Rome.
On paper, however, there remains the criticism of the president of the Episcopal Conference and Bishop of Limburg, Georg Bätzing, of public blessing ceremonies, considering them “an instrument for symbolic actions against Church policy or for protests.”
“It is part of the pastoral ministry of the Church to treat all people fairly in their respective concrete situations and to accompany them on their journey of life.. But I don't think that actions like those of May 10 help to move forward,” said the head of the German bishops.
The coordinated blessing of same-sex couples, an attempt at rebellion in the Catholic Church -although in the end there were only 30 couples who went to the temples to receive grace-, responded to a Vatican statement dated March 15 reaffirming the ban on blessing same-sex couples on the grounds that God cannot bless sin.
It was then that a group of 16 priests, members of the LGBTQ community and hundreds of volunteers launched a protest campaign that collected more than 2,000 signatures, including many bishops and well-known theologians.. The response to this initiative was so positive that the organizers set May 10 for the blessing ceremonies in memory of Noah, recognized in the Bible as a rainbow, the symbol adopted by the LGBTQ community.
“Given the refusal of the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith to bless homosexual couples, we raise our voices to say that we will continue to accompany all the people who decide to unite and celebrate their love.. We will not deny the blessing ceremony”, announced the initiators of this action, which was carried out in person and online.. Churches that for whatever reasons chose not to offer this ceremony were encouraged to wave rainbow flags in recognition and celebration of love in all its forms as a grace from God.
Although striking for concentrating this type of ceremonies over time, the blessing of same-sex couples and even divorcees is performed with some regularity in German temples, including the church of Santa Agnes directed by the Reverend Bernd Mönkebüscher, in the city Hamm's.
Mönkebüscher, one of the initiators of the campaign, and openly gay blesses all unions every Valentine's Day. “The Church must recognize, honor and appreciate life in all its colors. It is a gesture that we owe to many people who for years if not decades have been seen as second class,” he says.
The Bishop of Essen, Franz-Josef Overbeck, is more ambiguous in his speech, but he will not take action against the priests of his diocese who joined this initiative. “I'm not going to do that with the priests. No one will be suspended and no canon law will be applied” for blessing a same-sex couple.
For the Hamm pastor, the responsum of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on a dubium (doubt) regarding the March 15 blessing of same-sex couples has only caused “anger and irritation” among Catholics in Germany. He is therefore calling for a revision of Church doctrine and respect for same-sex unions.
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