The German Catholic Church released updated guidelines for blessing all couples, including remarried ones and LGBTQ+ ones, in accordance with what the German synod believes is the path laid forward by the late Pope Francis.
The German Bishops’ Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) said that they updated the guidelines under which pastoral workers may bless divorced, remarried and LGBTQ+ couples. The blessing is a way for “divorced and remarried people, couples of all gender identities and sexual orientations, and couples who, for other reasons, do not want or cannot receive the sacrament of marriage.”
The guidelines are part of the Synodal Path within the Church of Germany after it received new Vatican guidelines at the end of 2023 that relaxed a previous ban on homosexual relationships, and also, it explicitly follows openings on the matter made by Pope Francis during his pontificate.
Criticism of the new guidelines came from other parts of the German church. In particular, the Catholic reform initiative “Out in Church” contested that the updated blessing is still too little and keeps making LGBTQ+ couples second-class. In addition, the lack of a binding framework for the blessing drew additional criticism. The people within the initiative are now hoping that the new guidelines will have enough momentum to push for further acceptance.
“Out in Church” started in January 2022 and saw the volunteer public outing of around 125 employees and members of the Catholic Church who are part of the LGBTQ+ community.
