German bishops say priests can bless gay marriages; church leaders should consider the situation of the individual and try harder to accompany them

In LaCroix, 5 Feb 2018

The president of the Catholic bishops’ conference in Germany has said that in his opinion Catholic priests can conduct blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples.

Speaking to the Bavarian State Broadcasting’s radio service Feb. 3, Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising said church leaders in the field of pastoral care work and pastoral care should consider the situation of the individual and try harder to accompany them in their circumstances of life.

This, he said, also applies to gay people and that one must also encourage priests and pastoral workers to accompany people in such concrete situations.

However, he pointed out that there are no general solutions.

Earlier, the Bishop Franz-Josef Bode, the vice-president of the Catholic bishops’ conference in Germany had also called for deeper discussion on church blessings for homosexual partnerships.

He said it was unhelpful to remain silent about such taboo subjects concerning the “political reality” of same- sex marriage or “marriage for everyone” (Ehe für Alle) as it is often referred to in German.

“We must therefore ask ourselves how we should encounter and respond to those who enter into such partnerships and remain committed to the Church,” said Bishop Bode. “We must ask ourselves how we should accompany them pastorally and liturgically and how we can meet their needs.”

Cardinal Marx’s interview in German can be found here.