CNA Staff, Apr 29, 2021 / 14:00 pm
The chairman of the German Catholic bishops’ conference said Wednesday that a planned day of protest against the Vatican’s “no” to blessings for same-sex couples is not a “helpful sign.”
Bishop Georg Bätzing said in an April 28 statement on the bishops’ conference website that blessing services were “not suitable as an instrument for Church-political demonstrations or protest actions.”
CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner, reported that the bishop was responding to an appeal to Catholics to take part in a nationwide event on May 10 in defiance of the Vatican ruling, which was issued in March with the approval of Pope Francis.
The event, organized by Catholic pastoral workers, is known as “Segnungsgottesdiensten für Liebende,” or “blessing services for lovers.” Organizers hope that same-sex couples across Germany will take part in the event.