Modernist Church in a hurry. Guidelines for blessings of remarried and homosexual couples "in the spirit of the late Pope"
The authors say this is in the spirit of the late Pope. Nevertheless, there is criticism.
In Germany, there are now rules governing how remarried divorcees and homosexuals can be blessed by the Church. As the German Bishops' Conference (DBK) and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) announced on Wednesday, a guide for pastoral workers has now been adopted by the Joint Conference, composed of bishops and ZdK representatives. The blessings are intended as an offer for "divorced and remarried people, couples of all gender identities and sexual orientations, as well as couples who, for other reasons, do not want or cannot receive the sacrament of marriage." A guide is not legally binding. The guide itself merely refers to "practical advice."
The guide is seen as the result of the Church's reform dialogue in Germany, the Synodal Path, it was stated. After the Vatican relaxed the ban on blessings of homosexual relationships in December 2023, these changes were also incorporated. The now published guide follows the "pastoral approach of the pontificate of Pope Francis." The Joint Conference also adopted a guide for the respectful treatment of priests who leave office due to a partnership.
Criticism came from the Catholic reform initiative "OutInChurch." They criticized the lack of a binding textbook for the liturgical design of blessing ceremonies. This, however, was explicitly called for at the time during the Synodal Path. However, gay and lesbian couples, for example, continue to be discriminated against. "Even if a blessing is fundamentally possible, it remains a second-class blessing." The hope remains that the handbook now presented will develop its own momentum, "ultimately making it clear that conventional teaching is no longer accepted and must be changed." As part of the "OutInChurch" initiative, around 125 employees and members of the Catholic Church publicly came out as queer, i.e., homosexual or transgender, in January 2022.
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