First Symposium for Queer Lifestyles in Church

"With each other" for a people-friendly church

Over 100 participants network at the First Symposium for Queer Lifestyles in Church and Caritas in the Archdiocese of Paderborn

On Wednesday, 31 May 2023, more than 100 full-time employees from pastoral care, institutions, services and associations of the archdiocese met for the first symposium in the archdiocese of Paderborn for queer lifestyles in church and Caritas. The event in the Liborianum education and conference centre was entitled "Together*with each other". In a video message, Diocesan Administrator Monsignor Dr Michael Bredeck greeted the participants and underlined the relevance of the symposium: "This day is a sign of appreciation for your commitment in this field. Queer-sensitive pastoral care is about queer people who should feel welcome in our church."

A culture of appreciation for queer lifestyles is explicitly anchored in the 2030+ vision of the Archdiocese of Paderborn, the diocesan administrator emphasised. Therefore, it is necessary to "find ways together to develop our pastoral care in the direction of a queer-sensitive pastoral care". The current head of the Archdiocese of Paderborn is counting on a broad network of multipliers. "I understand today's symposium as a contribution to the visibility of queer people and their experiences," explained Monsignor Dr Michael Bredeck.

The Diocesan Working Group "Queersensitive Pastoral", the Liborianum, the Departments of Education+days as well as the Personnel Development of Pastoral Personnel in the Archdiocesan General Vicariate of Paderborn, the Catholic Adult and Family Education in the Archdiocese of Paderborn (kefb) and the Diocesan Caritas Association for the Archdiocese were responsible for the conference. In his welcoming address, Diocesan Caritas Director Ralf Nolte emphasised that it is part of the tasks of the Church and Caritas to accompany people in their joys and hardships. "'Our cross has no hooks' is the name of a Caritas campaign that we have expanded: 'Our Cross also has all colours'," the Caritas director emphasised. With the new basic order for church service, diversity will finally become effective as an enrichment for the church.

"For me, this day is a sign of appreciation for your commitment in this topic area," said Diocesan Administrator Monsignor Dr Michael Bredeck in a video message.

Moderator Jens Ehebrecht-Zumsande from Hamburg was pleased that the participants had come to Paderborn from a broad "cross-section of the Church" and that the topic of "queer-sensitive pastoral care" could be dealt with in lectures and workshops. "We don't want to question the fact that queer people are wanted by God, but we want to put a clear exclamation mark behind it," the moderator made clear right at the beginning - he was sure of spontaneous applause from the plenum. Counsellor Juliana Osterholz accompanied the event as an awareness person and was available to the participants if they needed to talk, because being queer is often associated with a history of suffering.

Dr. theol. habil. Holger Dörnemann, private lecturer for religious education at the University of Munich and visiting professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, is involved in the development of a pastoral-liturgical handout for blessing celebrations for couples who love each other. He was a member of the Synodal Assembly of the Synodal Way of the Catholic Church in Germany and the Synodal Forum "Living in Successful Relationships - Living Love in Sexuality and Partnership". In his keynote address, he presented theological backgrounds for the appreciation and celebration of the various forms of partnership.

While the 1992 Catechism still described homosexuality as a form of life not to be condoned, Pope Francis emphasised in the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia that homosexuality is not "against nature", Dr Dörnemann explained. It is important to treat homosexual and queer people with respect. Dörnemann emphasised the idea of friendship elaborated in Amoris Laetitia for all couples who are under the blessing of God. The offer of blessing celebrations is based on the conviction that there is already something morally good in living together. "A blessing ceremony does not constitute a sacramental bond. Something is blessed with respect that already exists. 

While the 1992 Catechism still described homosexuality as an unacceptable form of life, Pope Francis emphasised in the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia that homosexuality is not "against nature", Dr Dörnemann explained. It is important to treat homosexual and queer people with respect. Dörnemann emphasised the idea of friendship elaborated in Amoris Laetitia for all couples who are under the blessing of God. The offer of blessing celebrations is based on the conviction that there is already something morally good in living together. "A blessing ceremony does not constitute a sacramental bond. With respect, something is blessed that already exists," explained Dr Dörnemann.

Going deeper in workshops

Private lecturer Dr. theol. habil. Holger Dörnemann presented the theological background for the appreciation and celebration of the different forms of partnership.

In seven workshops, the participants were able to delve deeper into thematic aspects. Hannah Schlubeck, an internationally known pan-flutist, enriched the symposium - both musically together with pianist Markus Maurer and in terms of content: as workshop leader, she reported on her experiences as a transgender musician. A workshop with Pastor Bernd Mönkebüscher and Melina Sieker asked how things will continue after one year of #outinchurch. Two offers with Indra Wanke and Jana Hansjürgen as well as with student pastor Lars Hofnagel dealt with queer-sensitive language, also in the liturgy. Two target group-oriented workshops with Julia Seidel and Viola Hellmuth focused on offers for queer families and queer youth. In her workshop, Dr Floriane Sobetzko addressed "Diversity as a condition and opportunity for a church of tomorrow".

"I take away with me that it is important to meet queer people sensitively and authentically, without it seeming forced and exaggerated," said Silke Klute, head of the Catholic Marriage, Family and Life Counselling in Soest in the closing round in the plenary. She had experienced that there are people who do not want to be reduced to being trans. "In our counselling work, I also experience that it is the person who counts first and that sometimes it is not important at all to make being trans an issue."

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