The Vicar General of Trier, Ulrich Graf von Plettenberg, has criticized the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's "No" to the blessing of homosexual partnerships. The decision lacked respect for the love of two Christians.
He has "no understanding whatsoever for the Roman clarification," von Plettenberg said Tuesday, according to a statement from the diocese of Trier. "This incomprehension to the point of horror" he shares with many other believers. The damage being done with this latest Roman "intervention" is enormous, the vicar general said.
Why then can things be blessed?
"I can bless all kinds of things – but I am not supposed to be able to bless two people who know themselves bound together in love and faithfulness, who want to share the ups and downs of a life together?", asked von Plettenberg. He is expressly not concerned with egalitarianism, but "with respect for people who have chosen this way of life to the best of their knowledge and conscience and who want to live it out of the Christian faith.
According to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith statement circulated Monday, the Catholic Church has no authority to bless homosexual partnerships. It is true that in such initiatives there is "a sincere will" to accompany homosexual persons. But since the unions of homosexual couples do not correspond to the divine will, they cannot be blessed.
Signature campaign for blessing of homosexual couples
In the meantime, Catholic chaplains in Germany are declaring their willingness to bless homosexual couples by means of a signature campaign. Until Tuesday noon, a corresponding declaration was signed by more than 200 people, among them 75 priests and deacons, as well as religious and religious superiors, as the initiators, the Wurzburg university priest Burkhard Hose and priest Bernd Monkebuscher from Hamm, explained.
The action is a conscious answer to a refusal of the Roman Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to such blessings.
"We do not refuse a blessing ceremony," the statement reads. They did so, they said, in their responsibility as pastors who promised people at important moments in their lives the blessings that God alone bestows. "We respect and appreciate their love and believe that God's blessing is with them." Theological arguments and knowledge gains have been sufficiently exchanged.
"We do not accept that an exclusionary and outdated sexual morality is carried out on the backs of people and undermines our work in pastoral care."
Parish and pastoral ministers also supported the cause, as did teachers of religion and university professors. Until Palm Sunday (28. March) at 12.00 o'clock one wants to collect signatures. The statement would then be sent to the president of the German Bishops' Conference, Bishop Georg Batzing, and to the chairwoman of the Synodal Forum "Sexuality and Partnership" at the Synodal Way, Birgit Mock.