German priests reject Pope’s anti-gay message and bless same-sex unions
Dozens of priests coordinated to bless gay couples' unions, defying Vatican messaging
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Rosary beads — Photo: James Coleman / Unsplash
Priests across Germany have defied the Vatican’s messaging on gay relationships and blessed same-sex unions, in a planned event that was livestreamed by many of the more than 100 churches which participated.
In March, the Vatican released an official statement, approved by Pope Francis, declaring that the Catholic Church would never be able to bless same-sex marriages, calling them “sinful” and branding homosexuality a “choice.”
At the time, German theology professors opposed the statement, saying it was “marked by a paternalistic air of superiority and discriminates against homosexual people and their life plans.”