New Bishop open to female ordination, homosexual blessing and the end of celibacy but not open to the Latin Mass. The Latin Mass is frozen in time and its supporters disconnected from the ever-evolving Church.
Bishop Beat Grögli: "My affirmation of the episcopal ministry touched Bishop Markus Büchel deeply."
When Beat Grögli told his mother that he wanted to become a priest, she was "very, very critical." On Saturday, he will be consecrated Bishop of St. Gallen. He reveals his views on the issues of women's priesthood, celibacy, and the blessing of homosexuals – and what mistake he made as an assistant sacristan – in the major bishop interview.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Beat Grögli*: I'm a good listener, have diverse interests, and am a hopeful, positive person.
How would you describe your spirituality?
Grögli: I was deeply influenced by the spirituality of the Jesuits. I think it's beautiful that the spirituality of Ignatius of Loyola has a center – Jesus Christ, and is therefore open to everything and everyone – there's no inhibition.
Your favorite saint is definitely Ignatius of Loyola. Am I right?
Grögli: That's true. But I have other favorite saints: Saint Benedict, Saint Francis, and Brother Klaus.
Is there a saint you particularly admire?
Grögli: Good question. Yes, I've become closer to Saint Wiborada, who is actually a rather awkward saint, in recent years.
What are important places of power for you?
Grögli: The Dreiweiern, Lake Constance, and my apartment. But there are also places that have shaped me spiritually and are therefore important to me.
And what would they be?
Grögli: The Cathedral of St. Gallen and the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere. There, I worked with the Boy Scouts during my studies in Rome and was involved in confirmation preparation. The Jesuit Church in Innsbruck is also a place of strength for me, as is the Ranft and the Einsiedeln Monastery.
You come from the parish of Wil in the Diocese of St. Gallen. So you're a typical parish child.
Grögli: I'm definitely a parish child, but not a typical one. I was never an altar server in my parish. I only started serving at the age of 16, when I went to boarding school.
When did you know you wanted to become a priest?
Grögli: There was a trigger: a sermon given by my pastor. I was about 14 at the time.
Ordination
How did family and friends react?
Grögli: It took me a while to talk about it. At first, I only told my parents that I wanted to go to high school because I thought I needed my high school diploma to become a priest. First, I discussed it with a friend and with the priests at the boarding school. I told my parents later, when I was 18 or 19.
How did your parents react?
Grögli: My mother was very, very critical. My father was a quiet person. But he was happy, I'm sure of that. After the admission ceremony, the engagement ceremony for the priesthood, which always takes place before ordination, my mother said to me: "I can see that you're really serious. You can be sure that we'll always support you." I thought that was fantastic.
"I'd already prayed about this idea many times."
Have you ever regretted your decision to become a priest?
Grögli: There were certainly difficult moments. But I never had any doubts about my decision.
You spoke earlier about Ignatius of Loyola. His focus is on the "discernment of spirits." Did you consider becoming a bishop for a long time?
Grögli: Of course. I knew I was on the list – I was asked beforehand if I could imagine it. When I was elected by the cathedral chapter, it was clear to me that I would accept this office. I had already prayed through this idea many times.
What was your first thought when you learned you were going to be a bishop?
Grögli: Joy. Bishop Markus then came into the sacristy where the election had taken place and asked if I would accept the office. My yes touched him deeply. That was a very powerful moment for me.
What does a good bishop mean to you?
Grögli: I've just returned from a few days of retreat and brought the texts of the ordination liturgy with me. It's impressive what the bishop promises at his ordination: To serve the office – and not to use the office, to proclaim the Gospel, to pass on the faith, to build the Church in unity and obedience to the Pope, to care for the people of God, to be kind and merciful to the poor, to seek out the lost, to pray for all people, and to live blamelessly.
And you can fulfill all of these points?
Grögli: I can't say yet, but I'll do my best.
Every new bishop is invited to Rome for a week to attend the "Baby Bishops' School." You'll be attending in September. What are you looking forward to?
Grögli: I find it incredibly exciting to get to know the universal Church in a new way. It's certainly inspiring to meet other bishops who are also taking on this office, but who are in a completely different situation. We will also visit the dicasteries, which I'm very much looking forward to.
Where do you see the greatest need for action in the Church?
Grögli: How to create strong places of faith with fewer personnel resources and less infrastructure. I rely on the various councils in the diocese to find good solutions. I won't impose anything from above – it will happen in dialogue with pastors and the relevant committees.
"In the future, there should be more women in key positions."
What is your position on the issue of women's priesthood?
Grögli: I find the theological arguments against women's priesthood weak. And socially, many no longer understand why women continue to be denied access. As a man of the Church, however, I see that it's somewhat more complex. The idea of women exercising the priesthood – if Rome permits it – doesn't scare me.
And would you advocate for this cause in Rome?
Grögli: I will carefully consider where I will devote my energy. For me, the advancement of women begins much earlier. For example, that female pastors feel valued and supported, but also that they can develop further and take on more responsibility. That's important to me. I had strong women on the cathedral team. They challenged me in the best possible way. I now have to fill important positions in the diocese leadership; I won't be able to do justice to this in the first round. But in the future, there should be more women in key positions.
What is your stance on mandatory celibacy?
Grögli: I understand celibacy as a sign of the Kingdom of Heaven. I think it still has power today. It has inspired my priesthood. In my view, the mandatory connection between the priesthood and celibacy can be changed.
Have you ever blessed homosexual couples?
Grögli: Every Sunday, homosexual people attend services in the cathedral; I value them, and I believe they value me. However, this has never resulted in a request for a blessing ceremony.
If a homosexual couple approaches you as a bishop and wants to be blessed, what do you do?
Grögli: I am a pastor. A blessing ceremony is not a church-political manifestation.
What is important to you in the liturgy so that it speaks to and touches people?
Grögli: That it is celebrated beautifully and carefully. A sloppy liturgy annoys me. For example, when the words are droned on. If I make the words and signs of the liturgy 'my song,' then they have an impact and resonate with people. The liturgy appealed to me greatly even in my childhood and youth because something came to me that was not made up, something divine.
What do you mean by that?
Grögli: Liturgy is not simply made up by the people who participate in the service. Rather, something from God comes to us. That touches me deeply. I believe that liturgy can be healing for our society. Liturgy is a gift. I also have access to the Eastern Church liturgy. I don't understand a word there other than "Amen" and "Hallelujah," but it takes you into another dimension.
In the Diocese of St. Gallen, too, there are people who enjoy celebrating the Old Mass—they also feel that depth of faith there that you just mentioned. What is your position on the Fraternity of St. Peter and St. Pius X?
Grögli: The Old Mass is often associated with certain theological ideas, worldviews, and political opinions that aren't mine at all. What's difficult about these groups is that they've distanced themselves from the larger community. The liturgy they celebrate isn't evolving. They're thus disconnecting themselves from the development of the Church as a community.
A careful liturgy includes a good sermon. How do you prepare for it?
Grögli: I look at the texts, then carry them around with me, go swimming, and meditate on them during prayer times. By the time I sit down at my desk, I already have a common thread in my head, which I then put down on paper.
Did you ever make a mistake in the liturgy as an altar server?
Grögli: As an assistant sacristan during my time at boarding school, I once forgot to fill the jugs with water and wine. I quickly rushed to the sacristy and got it. Something like that only happens once.
What will you do like your predecessor, Bishop Markus Büchel?
Grögli: Bishop Markus is a people-oriented bishop. He has no reservations and has maintained excellent contact with the important players in politics and society in the canton. I would like to continue that.
"Without a car, it's less stressful for me."
Will you be an itinerant bishop, mostly seen in a car?
Grögli: I don't have a car at all.
Or on the train?
Grögli: I'll be out and about a lot in the parishes and communities, but I'll also often be in the office.
Will you be able to get to all the parishes without a car?
Grögli: There are people who tell me I'll never make it. But there's also car sharing, and I'm sure there are people in the diocese who will give me a ride.
Do you forego a car for environmental reasons?
Grögli: No. Without a car, it's less stressful for me. I feel more relaxed when I travel by public transport.
How do you view the issue of abuse, education, and prevention in your diocese?
Grögli: When it comes to education and prevention, the Diocese of St. Gallen has been making good progress for a long time. We must continue to work on this.
In 2027, the expanded results of the research on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Switzerland will be presented. How will you handle this?
Grögli: I will find out in advance what has happened in our diocese, as we have a good archive. It is important to me that communication is successful throughout Switzerland. Clear, honest, consistent, and prompt – this is how the messages should reach employees and the public. Things were very bumpy in the fall of 2023, when the pilot study was published.
Your predecessors, Bishop Ivo Fürer and Bishop Markus Büchel, were accused of not having acted adequately in investigating abuse. How did that feel for you?
Grögli: At first, there was disappointment. For me, it was important to be able to talk to Bishop Markus about it. There was a media meltdown, but after several conversations, I can clearly understand his personal behavior. There's a great danger that we will retrospectively judge and condemn something based on today's criteria and standards. Perhaps in 30 years, people will say of me that I completely failed in certain areas because they look at the past from a different perspective. Of course, I will also make mistakes.
Finally, one easy question: What are you particularly looking forward to at your episcopal ordination?
Grögli: I'm looking forward to the whole day. But especially the rich liturgy and the large number of people who come to St. Gallen for the ordination.
*Beat Grögli (54) grew up in Wil and studied theology in Freiburg (Switzerland), Vienna, and Innsbruck. From 2003 to 2006, he completed additional training in psychology at the Gregorian University in Rome. Since 2013, he has been the cathedral priest and a member of the diocesan leadership. Beat Grögli will be consecrated as the twelfth Bishop of St. Gallen on July 5, 2025.
Quotes from Bishop Beat
That against the background of these ideas the pastor of the cathedral of St. Gall, Fr. Beat Grögli, says he is ready to bless same-sex couples in church therefore can come as no surprise. The pastor of Aesch, diocese of Basel, Fr. Felix Terrier, also interviewed, already gives such blessings and moreover brings into question “if the sacrament of marriage can really be administered only once.” The judicial vicar of the diocese of St. Gall, Titus Lenherr, finally asks in accord with Cardinal Walter Kasper for a simple ecclesiastical procedure for the legitimation of a civil “second marriage.”All of these requests would have to be satisfied once sexuality need no longer fulfill a natural purpose. The ethics of the Church “blocked by natural law” (Schmitt) should therefore be left behind. Sexual morality would have to be rebuilt from the ground up, and sexuality considered as something that is expressed in a relationship based on mutual respect. This would apply equally to heterosexuals and homosexuals (Goertz). What in this regard is taken as already a pastoral reality would therefore also have to be “recognized officially by the Church” (Schmitt). The Church’s position on marriage, on sexual morality, and on contraception would have to be “adapted” “so that the profound rift between modern-day doctrine and practice should not get even wider” (Grögli).
Cathcon: The traditional way for a Bishop to find peace is not with stand up paddling but in front of Christ in the Tabernacle. Shows where his priorities lie.
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