Gay couple © Jose Luis Carrascosa (shutterstock)
The Catholic Church will not allow church weddings of homosexual couples in the foreseeable future, according to Bishop Peter Kohlgraf of Mainz. Kohlgraf, on the other hand, looks favorably upon a relaxation of celibacy.
The understanding of marriage touches the "brand core" of the Catholic doctrine of human beings, he said in an interview with the Mainz-based "Allgemeine Zeitung" (Wednesday edition): "Marriage in the Catholic Church is now defined as a community of man and woman with openness to offspring."However, the moral-theological attitude to homosexual relationships in the church could very well change.
After the first synodal assembly of bishops and laity in the course of the Catholic reform process, the so-called Synodal Way, the bishop of Mainz warned again in the interview against unrealizable hopes. Certainly there will be no ordination of women priests in the next two years, he said. Not even the pope could simply decide this: "If anything, it would require very, very long processes in the universal church.
For relaxations of compulsory celibacy
But perhaps such a process will begin."In principle, he believes in the reformability of the Catholic Church, Kohlgraf said. There have always been reforms in the history of the Church.
The former theology professor again advocated limiting the power of bishops in the Catholic Church and controlling their activities more closely. He also advocated a relaxation of the obligation of celibacy for priests.
It is already common today that, for example, Protestant pastors who convert to the Catholic Church and become priests continue to live with their families as a matter of course. "We have married priests in the Eastern Church tradition, too."Loosening the requirement of celibacy would not damage the dignity of the priesthood.