Pride month: Austrian Church strengthens visibility of homosexual believers

On the occasion of "Pride Month," numerous parishes and church groups in Austria are increasingly setting an example for queer-sensitive pastoral care. In addition to rainbow flags on churches, prayers, and blessings, full-time and volunteer staff are visibly involved in Pride events in several dioceses.

Those responsible for the Church's rainbow pastoral care see progress, but also a need for further action, such as structural anchoring and support: "Clear responsibility at the level of the Bishops' Conference is urgently needed," said Rev. Gregor Jansen from the leadership team of the Roman Catholic Rainbow Pastoral Care Austria to the Kathpress news agency.

In many dioceses, rainbow pastoral care is organized on a voluntary basis, but professional resources and mandatory training for pastoral caregivers are often lacking. "Guidelines for queer-sensitive pastoral care should be implemented in all dioceses. This also applies to all training processes, especially priest training," Jansen suggested. The goal should be to build "resilient bridges between queer communities and church institutions" so that "mutual invitation, acceptance, and support can be experienced," Jansen said.

Consequences for homophobic attacks

Furthermore, there needs to be clear consequences from the bishops "when homophobic attacks occur in sermons or other statements." This is currently happening "only partially," according to Father Jansen.

Benno Karnel, deputy chair of the Rainbow Pastoral Platform, also expressed his hope that "more and more people in charge of their parishes or organizations will take steps and courageously act to ensure that safe spaces can be created for queer people." People from the queer community should be able to find a safe home in the Catholic Church and be welcomed "not because of their sexual orientation, but simply because they are there, engaging with their talents in the groups and parishes." For this to succeed, "courageous leaders in parishes and organizations are needed who take steps."

People from the queer community should be able to find a safe home in the Catholic Church, according to the Rainbow Pastoral Platform.

Karnel and Jansen currently identify different speeds of rainbow pastoral care in the Austrian dioceses. Both praised the commitment of Austrian parishes with the "a+o – accepting and open" label. This means that church organizations and parishes are committing to a queer-sensitive attitude and approach to LGBTIQ* people, as well as to awareness-raising processes.

A new beginning since "Fiducia supplicans"

Both cite the Vatican exhortation "Fiducia supplicans," which explicitly does not exclude blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples, as an important impetus. "Fiducia supplicans has confirmed what has long been a reality in many places: blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples are possible – not as a sacrament, but as an expression of pastoral closeness," Jansen said.

It is noteworthy that numerous bishops have explicitly welcomed the document: It makes it clear that couples who desire a blessing ceremony no longer have to act as supplicants "dependent on the benevolence of individual pastors, but that there is a right to pastoral care," Jansen explained.

Official Blessing Concept

In the Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt, an official blessing concept has been published – with a foreword by Bishop Josef Marketz – that takes into account both same-sex and heterosexual non-sacramentally married couples.

With regard to Pope Leo XIV, Jansen and Karnel hoped for continuity with his predecessor's line. Karnel pointed to his frequent emphasis on the term "all" – similar to Pope Francis's "todos, todos, todos" – and saw this as a sign of openness. Jansen expected "that the movements initiated by Pope Francis will be carried forward and enshrined in canon law."

Austria-wide Commitment

"In all Pride cities, dedicated full-time and volunteer people are involved, some of them organized as groups: the Young Church, the rainbow pastoral leaders, members of "a&o" parishes and organizations. "Pride Prayers" are being celebrated, blessing corners are being set up, and questions and answers are being given," reported Karnel.

n practice, the growing commitment can be seen throughout Austria: Pride prayers and a church presence at parades have taken place this year in Klagenfurt, Vienna, Linz, Ried im Innkreis, Bregenz and Graz, among others. In Vienna, many parishes flew the rainbow flag in June.

Father Jensen: A lot of acceptance at the "grass roots"

"In many parishes, i.e. at the so-called 'grassroots', and in organisations such as Catholic Action, I see a lot of acceptance and a natural approach to LGBTIQ*," said Jansen, who also emphasised the support and backing of the diocesan authorities, who support the commitment to queer-sensitive pastoral care. "This benevolence was much less common just a few years ago," added Jansen.

Karnel also called the ecumenical cooperation - for example at the "Pride Prayer" in Klagenfurt with around 100 participants - an additional "encouraging sign".

In October, a nationwide qualification course for full-time and voluntary church employees will take place for the first time with the "Basic Training LGBTIQ* Competence" at Bildungshaus Schloss Puchberg. Topics include queer-sensitive biblical interpretation, liturgical organisation, sexual medicine and legal principles. According to the initiators, the aim is to enable pastoral teams to create "safe spaces" for queer people.

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