German Catholic Lears Support Blsgs for Gay Coupl, Challengg Pope Francis - WSJ

Contents:

• GERMAN CATHOLIC PRITS DEFY ROME TO OFFER BLSGS TO GAY COUPL
• GERMAN PRITS FY VATIN TO BLS GAY UPL
• GERMAN CATHOLICS TO BLS GAY UNNS SPE VATIN BAN
• ‘THE LOVE OF HOMOSEXUALS IS SOMETHG GOOD’: GERMAN CATHOLICS TO BLS GAY UNNS, FYG VATIN BAN
• GERMAN CATHOLICS PLAN HUGE BLSG OF GAY UNNS ON MAY 10
• GERMAN CATHOLIC LEARS SUPPORT BLSGS FOR GAY COUPL, CHALLENGG POPE FRANCIS
• GERMANY'S QUIET CATHOLIC REBELLN ON GAY BLSGS AND WOMEN PREACHERS
• GERMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS BACK BLSG OF GAY RELATNSHIPS, DEFYG POPE FRANCIS
• GERMAN CATHOLICS TO BLS GAY UNNS SPE VATIN BAN
• DOZENS OF GERMAN PRITS WILL FY THE VATIN AND LIVE-STREAM BLSGS OF GAY UPL
• GERMAN CATHOLICS TO BLS GAY UNNS SPE VATIN BAN
• BLSG GAY UNNS
• GERMAN CATHOLIC PRITS DEFY ROME TO OFFER BLSGS TO GAY COUPL

GERMAN CATHOLIC PRITS DEFY ROME TO OFFER BLSGS TO GAY COUPL

Gregor Podschun, the print of the League of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ), an official Church group that supports women’s ordatn, gay marriage, and abortn accs, said that blsgs of same-sex unns were “a mimum” and that “we need [sacramental] marriage for everyone.

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTMore than 100 Roman Catholic parish Germany held servic to bls gay upl, fiance of the Vatin’s refal to regnize same-sex Hoerhager/DPA, via Associated PrsBERLIN — More than 100 Roman Catholic parish Germany offered blsgs to gay upl on Monday fiance of church teachg and their own ll for natnwi blsgs me rponse to a cree issued by the Vatin on March 15, rercg the church’s prohibn of prits askg for God’s benevolence for gay upl, statg that God “do not and nnot bls s. “In view of the refal of the Congregatn for the Doctre of the Fah to bls homosexual partnerships, we raise our voic and say: We will ntue to acpany people who enter to a bdg partnership the future and bls their relatnship, ” the group said a statement.

GERMAN PRITS FY VATIN TO BLS GAY UPL

Church doctre says that while gay people mt be treated wh digny, homosexualy is “trsilly disorred.

” Pope Francis has not changed this teachg, but has ocsnally raised the hop of gay Catholics by speakg of the need to love and wele gay and transgenr German church is among the most powerful and liberal the world, and Roman Catholics everywhere were watchg the rponse to the blsgs for signals of how the church might rpond to attempts at reform om those the pews and om the prits who are often among those most active fdg ways to clu gay men and lbians the church. “There has been this credible discsn Germany about same-sex upl specifilly that has not taken place anywhere else, ” said Francis DeBernardo, the executive director of New Ways Mistry, which reprents gay and lbian Catholics the Uned Stat.

GERMAN CATHOLICS TO BLS GAY UNNS SPE VATIN BAN

“We held a blsg service this Valente’s Day, but was important to view of this story om Rome to send a clear signal that the church mt regnize, honor and appreciate life all of s many lors, ” said Father Mönkebüscher, who intifi as gay.

‘THE LOVE OF HOMOSEXUALS IS SOMETHG GOOD’: GERMAN CATHOLICS TO BLS GAY UNNS, FYG VATIN BAN

“We n’t ignore the fact that a lot of homosexual upl have already left the church.

More about Melissa EddyA versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn A, Page 9 of the New York edn wh the headle: Defyg Rome Decree, German Prits Bls Gay Coupl.

Thoands of German prits and church employe have also signed a petn llg on the Church to extend blsgs to same-sex upl, while some parish have also displayed rabow flags outsi Catholic Church Germany is more liberal and wealthy than many other untri and the creasgly vol acceptance of gay upl will be hard for the Vatin to ignore, the BBC's Damien McGuns Berl marriage has been legal Germany sce 2017 and the untry has also banned so-lled "gay nversn therapy" for might be terted :Media ptn, Comg out to my parents: Dad 'proud' of gay Mlim sonMore on this story.

GERMAN CATHOLICS PLAN HUGE BLSG OF GAY UNNS ON MAY 10

But the rponse has been particularly acute Germany, where the German church has been at the foreont of openg discsn on hot-button issu such as the church’s teachg on homosexualy as part of a formal procs of bate and dozens of church servic celebratg blsgs of gay unns are the latt latn tensns between nservativ and progrsiv that have already sparked alarm, primarily om the right, that part of the German church might be headg to schism.

GERMAN CATHOLIC LEARS SUPPORT BLSGS FOR GAY COUPL, CHALLENGG POPE FRANCIS

“I am nvced that homosexual orientatn is not bad, nor is homosexual love a s, ” Kordschke told The Associated Prs an terview Friday. “I want to celebrate the love of homosexuals wh the blsgs bee the love of homosexuals is somethg good.

”The 44-year-old said is important that gays and lbians n show themselv wh the Catholic Church and ga more visibily long-term.

GERMANY'S QUIET CATHOLIC REBELLN ON GAY BLSGS AND WOMEN PREACHERS

“I stand behd what I am dog, though is paful for me that I nnot do tune wh the church learship, ” Kordschke said, addg that “the homophobia of my church mak me angry and I am ashamed of . ”The head of the German Bishops Conference last month cricized the grassroots iative for gay blsgs which is lled “Liebe Gewnt” or “Love Ws. ”However, Germany's powerful lay anizatn, the Central Commtee of German Catholics, or ZdK, which has been advotg for gay blsgs sce 2015, posned self once more favor of them.

“The fact that they ask for God's blsg and thank him for all the good their liv — also for relatnships lived wh mutual rpect and full of love — that is eply based on the Gospel, ” Mock said, addg that she herself was planng to attend a church service wh gay blsgs the wtern cy of Hamm on Monday which she would pray for ”the succs of the synodal path which we, as a church, regnize sexualy as a posive strength.

In many plac, a general blsg was given at the end of the service, which, however, explicly clud homosexual upl and their relatnships.

GERMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS BACK BLSG OF GAY RELATNSHIPS, DEFYG POPE FRANCIS

Several German bishops have prevly spoken favor of blsgs for homosexual unns, cludg Ge Bätzg (Limburg), Franz-Josef Overbeck (Essen), Helmut Dier (Aachen), Rehard Marx (Munich and Freisg), Franz-Josef Bo (Osnabrück), Peter Kohlgraf (Maz), and Herich Timmerevers (Drn-Meissen).

But the rponse has been particularly acute Germany, where the German church has been at the foreont of openg discsn on hot-button issu such as the church’s teachg on homosexualy as part of a formal procs of bate and reform. Germany's powerful Catholic progrsiv are openly fyg a recent Holy See pronouncement that prits nnot bls same-sex unns by offerg such blsgs at servic about 100 different church all over the untry this dozens of church servic celebratg blsgs of gay unns are the latt latn tensns between nservativ and progrsiv that have already sparked alarm, primarily om the right, that part of the German church might be headg to schism.

GERMAN CATHOLICS TO BLS GAY UNNS SPE VATIN BAN

”Germany is no stranger to schism: 500 years ago, Mart Luther lnched the Reformatn 44-year-old said is important that homosexuals n show themselv wh the Catholic Church and ga more visibily long-term.

DOZENS OF GERMAN PRITS WILL FY THE VATIN AND LIVE-STREAM BLSGS OF GAY UPL

Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen said that the prits his dce will face no nonil nsequence if they ci to bls gay and lbian upl next month as part of the event lled “Love ws, blsg service for lovers. His ments me an terview wh WDR earlier this week, and follow his ments on Easter, when he argued that there are “many blsgs for gay upl” Germany.

He also said that the Catholic Church is not supposed to reject gay people but “fd ways for homosexuals to be able to live together. That's bee for the lbian and gay Catholics here, after a lifetime the Church, this is the first time they have felt fully accepted. That's OK too, says Fr Kordschke wh a the Pope has said on homosexualyOctober 2020: Pope Francis tells a documentary-maker same-sex upl should be allowed to have "civil unns".

GERMAN CATHOLICS TO BLS GAY UNNS SPE VATIN BAN

"Homosexual people... "October 2014: Bishops at the Church synod drop proposals for wir acceptance of gay people that were backed by the 2013: On a flight the Pope tells reporters that gay people should not be margalised but tegrated to society.

BLSG GAY UNNS

Gay clergymen should be fiven and their ss fotten, he ptn, "If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge? The dozens of church servic celebratg blsgs of gay unns are the latt latn tensns between nservativ and progrsiv that have already sparked alarm, primarily om the right, that part of the German church might be headg to schism.

The 44-year-old said is important that homosexuals n show themselv wh the Catholic Church and ga more visibily long-term. The head of the German Bishops Conference last month cricized the grassroots iative for gay blsgs which is lled “Liebe Gewnt” or “Love Ws.

However, Germany’s powerful lay anizatn, the Central Commtee of German Catholics, or ZdK, which has been advotg for gay blsgs sce 2015, posned self once more favor of them.

GERMAN CATHOLIC PRITS DEFY ROME TO OFFER BLSGS TO GAY COUPL

“The fact that they ask for God’s blsg and thank him for all the good their liv — also for relatnships lived wh mutual rpect and full of love — that is eply based on the Gospel, ” Mock said, addg that she herself was planng to attend a church service wh gay blsgs the wtern cy of Hamm on Monday which she would pray for ”the succs of the synodal path which we, as a church, regnize sexualy as a posive strength. Dozens of Catholic prits Germany plan fy the Vatin and bls homosexual partnerships, wh many set to live-stream the blsgs onle.

In rponse, more than 230 profsors of Catholic theology Germany – and other untri where German is spoken – signed a statement prottg the cisn, the Associated Prs a statement, the group clared that the cree "is marked by a paternalistic air of superry and discrimat agast homosexual people and their life plans.

"In view of the refal of the Congregatn for the Doctre of the Fah to bls homosexual partnerships, we raise our voic and say: We will ntue to acpany people who enter to a bdg partnership the future and bls their relatnship, " the group said a statement.