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Brigitte Schmidt (R), a pastoral worker blesses a same-sex couple, Nini and Juliana Weinmeister-Bisping, in Cologne. (Andreas Rentz/Getty)
Catholic priests in Germany have defied the Vatican by offering blessings to same-sex couples in group ceremonies in more than 100 churches.
Numerous churches across the country performed mass blessings of same-sex couples in recent days after the Vatican ruled in March that such ceremonies should not go ahead because God “cannot bless sin”.
Some of the churches were decked in rainbow decorations to mark the occasion, while priests delivered empowering sermons about the need for LGBT+ inclusion in the Catholic Church. Around 20 of the services were live-streamed.
(Pixabay/StockSnap)
An international group of theologians and scholars released an academic statement on May 4 alleging inconsistencies in the Vatican s arguments against same-sex relationships, and urging the church to review its stance in light of modern research. When people suffer . because of doctrines, laws and disciplines, about whose correctness there are now well-founded doubts, the competent Church authorities have a religious and Christian duty to carefully and empathetically revise them, wrote theologian Fr. Krzysztof Charamsa, a former official at the Vatican s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in the foreword to the statement.
The authors argued that the Bible never condemns consensual, faithful same-sex relationships. They also said evidence that non-heterosexual orientations occur naturally and the fact that the church allows infertile straight couples to marry undermine the Vatican s natural law arguments against same-sex relationship
Pope Francis. (Getty/ Lisa Maree Williams)
Claims that the Bible condemns same-sex relationships are based on misinterpretations and mistranslations, a groundbreaking theological study has found.
The report, titled “Christian Objections to Same-Sex Relationships: An Academic Assessment”, saw 20 biblical scholars, theologians, ethicists, evolutionary biologists and sociologists come together to disprove the foundations upon which the Catholic Church built its anti-LGBT+ stance.
The 80-page study, which was conducted by the Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research, should “serve as the final nail in the coffin of biblical and other arguments justifying homophobia”, a press release said.
The report found that passages in Leviticus often cited as the most explicit condemnations of homosexuality have actually been mistranslated.
Academic report, signed by Mary McAleese, disproves Christian objections to same-sex relationships
The group of Christian theologians and academics are appealing directly to Pope Francis to make the change. By Gráinne Ní Aodha Tuesday 4 May 2021, 2:06 PM 6 hours ago 16,078 Views 33 Comments
Image: Alessandra Tarantino
Image: Alessandra Tarantino
A GROUP OF Christian theologians and academics have produced a report that claims to disprove Christian objections to same-sex relationships.
The Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research report has a number of authors, contributors, and signatories from various fields and backgrounds – former President of Ireland Professor Mary McAleese is among those who signed the document.