A German Cardinal covered many topics in a recent media interview – blasphemy, the pope, LGBT and the German bishops featured in Cardinal Gerhard Müller’s comments. One comment was that Pope Francis should correct and, if necessary, punish some German bishops. Müller was referring to those who have approved “heretical texts” and “proposals directly against Read more
When the German bishops’ conference meets in Dresden this week, the group’s chairman has a particular aim. Bishop Georg Bätzing wants Germany’s bishops to support the prospect of liturgical blessings for same-sex couples. The German Catholic news agency KNA says the German bishops’ leader’s agenda will call for “a common line in favour of blessing Read more
A bishop has suspended a parish priest in a small Southern Italian town after the cleric continually rejected Catholic Church teaching by promoting same-sex blessings, abortion and euthanasia. The Rev Giulio Mignani (pictured), 52, has been barred from celebrating Mass and the sacraments after vocally advocating for welcoming LGBTQ individuals into the church. “The Church Read more
Earlier this month, more than a hundred Catholic parishes in Germany carried out priestly blessings of same-sex couples in defiance of the Vatican and the German bishops. The ceremonies were, in part, a response to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s recent instruction forbidding such blessings and reiterating the Church’s traditional teaching regarding Read more
German Catholics are not seeking to “detach ourselves as the German national Church from Rome,” and there is no risk of schism, according to the chairman of the German Catholic bishops’ conference. Even as Catholics in Germany plan a national protest against the Vatican’s ban on blessing on same-sex couples, Bishop Georg Bätzing has insisted Read more
One reading of the Vatican’s same sex blessing statement is it has back-fired according to theologian Dr James Alison. “I’ve been rather encouraged, and particularly surprised how much more unworriedly critical a vast number of people, including cardinals and bishops have been”. He’s calling the Vatican’s same-sex blessing statement “a shot in the foot”. James Read more
Several German Catholic leaders are openly supporting the blessing of same-sex couples and overtly challenging the Vatican. A massive blessing service event called “Love wins, blessing service for lovers” has been scheduled for May 10, in direct opposition to Rome’s chief doctrinal office. Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen said priests in his diocese will face Read more
Imagine that someone deliberately locks themselves into a small room. They then let it be known that they can’t discuss something with you … because they are locked in a small room. And their justification takes the form: “Can’t because we say we can’t because we said we can’t”. This act of communication is called Read more
Vatican sources said they believe Pope Francis was distancing himself from a recent Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) statement in his Angelus of March 21. The CDF Responsum said priests could not give blessings to same-sex unions because “God cannot bless sin”. The statement has caused an outcry from LGBT+ Catholics and Read more
Pope Francis, who made headlines in the first months of his papacy by responding, “Who am I to judge?” when asked about gay priests, has now signed off on a Vatican decree that priests cannot bless same-sex unions since God “cannot bless sin.” The decree, issued by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Read more