Devendra Kumar
Catholic priests held a ceremony blessing same-sex couples outside Cologne Cathedral on Wednesday, protesting against the conservative Archishop Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki and his criticism of a similar event held in March. The blessing ceremony was held in defiance of the Vatican’s stance that same-sex couples cannot be blessed, as well as Cologne church officials who had reprimanded a priest who previously held a similar ceremony. The priests’ move is seen as a rebellion against Archbishop Woelki, who has been at the center of controversy over allegations of covering up clerical sexual abuse reports.
The ceremony, which was attended by several hundred people, including same-sex and heterosexual couples, was a symbolic protest against the church’s stance on same-sex relationships. The couples were blessed amidst waving rainbow flags, and the crowd sang the Beatles hit “All You Need Is Love”. About 30 couples were blessed during the ceremony.
The German government’s LGBT+ commissioner, Sven Lehmann, praised the event, saying that it was an important symbol for the demand to recognize and accept same-sex couples in the Roman Catholic Church. He noted that Archbishop Woelki and the Vatican are “light years behind social reality”.
The event has been seen as a further sign of disunity within the Catholic Church in Germany, where many progressive Catholics have been at odds with the Vatican for some time. The church has been grappling with allegations of clerical sexual abuse and has been criticized for its handling of the crisis.
The crisis of confidence in Archbishop Woelki began in 2020, when he kept under wraps a report on how local church officials reacted to allegations of priestly sexual abuse. A subsequent report found 75 cases where high-ranking officials neglected their duties. Archbishop Woelki has denied any wrongdoing and has refused to resign.
Progressive Catholics in Germany have also been pushing for reforms within the church, including increased recognition of gay rights and women’s roles in the Church. The Vatican, however, has been hesitant to make changes, fearing that they will split the Church.
In contrast to the blessing ceremony, a small group of about a dozen Catholics demonstrated against the event, holding up a banner that read “Let’s stay Catholic”. Despite the controversy, the Catholic Church in Germany remains the largest religious denomination in the country, with over 1.8 million members.