Coming out in the Catholic Church Round II

Documentary "How God Created Us" goes into the second round.

The first documentary was awarded the Catholic Media Prize in the category of TV.   Cardinal Marx presented the award.

The award-winning documentary "How God Created Us" was the Catholic Church's biggest coming-out. Swiss theologian Pierre Stutz was also involved. Now a new documentary "How God Created Us - After Coming Out" is being released. The film sheds light on what has happened since the broadcast. Also, some now speak more with their real names.

A good year after the ARD documentary "Wie Gott uns schuf" (How God Created Us), another film sheds light on how the protagonists are doing today and what has happened in the meantime. In the multi-award-winning documentary, 125 Catholic people spoke publicly about their sexuality and gender identity at the end of January 2022, triggering a nationwide debate.

From 19 May in the ARD media library

At the same time, the reform initiative #OutInChurch was launched. Among other things, it called for a revision of the church's labour law regulations so that, for example, employees living in a homosexual partnership do not have to fear dismissal.

The new 30-minute documentary "Wie Gott uns schuf - nach dem Coming Out" by filmmakers Katharina Kühn and Hajo Seppelt can be seen in the ARD media library from 19 May. From 21 May it will be broadcast on television on various ARD stations. In the film, people from the past report on what has changed for them since last year and where they would like to see further reforms. Some of the people who spoke anonymously in the first documentary now also speak under their real names.

In the film production "How God Created Us", church workers spoke about fears, worries and a life in the shadows. This was also related to the labour law regulations at the time.

Since then, all German dioceses have implemented a new church labour law, according to which queer employees can no longer lose their job with a Catholic employer because of their sexual orientation. Of the 100 protagonists at the time, no one lost their job, the new production says.

Strengthening the network

The first documentary was awarded the Catholic Media Prize, the German Television Prize and the Stern Prize as "Story of the Year", among others. More than 500 people have joined the #OutInChurch initiative. In the meantime, it has organised itself as an association in order to strengthen the common network and to continue working on its demands for a church free of fear and discrimination.

In recent years, the Catholic Church in Germany has debated a new sexual morality at the Synodal Way reform dialogue. Decisions on this, however, ultimately rest with Rome, where the official teachings of the church are administered. Queer is a collective term for people who are not heterosexual as well as for people whose gender identity does not conform to social ideas.

Source

Jury statement on first documentary - published by the German Bishops' Conference

Prize winner category television 

Hajo Seppelt, Katharina Kühn, Marc Rosenthal and Peter Wozny 

"Wie Gott uns schuf - Coming-out in der katholischen Kirche" broadcast on ARD on 24 January 2022, 8.30 p.m. 

About the authors: 

Hajo Seppelt,born 1963, is a journalist, author, reporter and is considered an expert on doping and sports politics. He became internationally known with numerous reports and revelations on doping. He is chief author for multimedia content. 

Katharina Kühn works as a freelance author, reporter and presenter in Berlin/Brandenburg. Her work can be seen and heard on ARD, phoenix and Deutschlandfunk, among others. Marc Rosenthal works as a freelance author, director and reporter in Berlin. 

Peter Wozny works as a TV editor and video journalist. He previously worked for many years as an editor at Deutsche Welle. 

Jury statement: "It is probably the biggest coming-out ever in the Catholic Church: 100 believers who describe themselves as lesbian, gay, bi, trans*, inter, queer or non-binary dare to go public in the ARD documentary. Priests, religious brothers, parish workers, diocesan employees, religious teachers, educators and social workers tell of the hardship of having to deny their sexual identity to their employer and conceal their love for a same-sex partner. Over many years, the team of authors from rbb, in co-operation with SWR, has approached the subject with a great deal of research: they have spoken to those affected throughout Germany, carefully and with great sensitivity. The transitional moderation does not succumb to the temptation to judge or condemn; the fates of the protagonists speak for themselves. They are people of faith who have consciously chosen their church employer and remain loyal to it, even if they were subjected to intimidation when they came out of the closet. They describe their fate clearly and without frills, the camera stays with them even when emotions overtake them. It is particularly impressive to experience how these people stand by their faith and see the Church as their religious home 

What can be seen and heard are people who are on fire for the Church, even though they are rejected by it. It is a deeply touching, shattering film that shames and shakes up. It shows people who long for nothing more than respect, acceptance of their identity and recognition of their love. The film, broadcast at prime time after the news, made waves, was discussed in parishes, praised by Catholic associations and achieved something that seemed unthinkable until then: for the jury of the Catholic Media Prize, there was no question of awarding this film the main prize.