Bishop Georg Bätzing In a wide-ranging interview, the head of the German bishops’ conference called for far-reaching changes to the Catholic Church and criticised the Vatican’s treatment of the Church in his country.
“I would describe myself as conservative because I love this Church and enjoy devoting my life and my strength to it. But I want it to change,” Limburg Bishop Georg Bätzing told the magazine Herder Korrespondenz.
His remarks were reported by the German Catholic news agency KNA. Among other things, Bishop Bätzing suggested changing Church teaching on homosexuality. The Catholic Church says homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered,” but homosexuals are to be treated with “respect, compassion and sensitivity” and without discrimination.
Bishop Bätzing also wants Church blessings for couples who cannot marry in the Catholic Church. “We need solutions that are not only effective in private, but also have public visibility – yet make it clear that no marriage is being solemnised,” he said.
In addition to homosexual couples, for example, people who remarry after a divorce are not allowed to marry as Catholics without the first marriage being annulled. KNA reported that, in the interview, the Limburg bishop also called for reforms of the participation of women in the Church.