A top conservative cardinal, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Mueller, has called for Pope Francis to take disciplinary action against German bishops who support same-sex unions and hold other “heretical” views. The German Catholic church has been discussing a series of reforms, including on homosexuality, women priests, and priestly celibacy, as part of its so-called Synodal Path. However, some of the bishops taking part in the process have approved “heretical texts” and should be tried under canon law, according to Mueller.
As a German bishop himself, Mueller argued that allowing gay couples to have their union blessed by a priest goes “directly against Catholic faith.” He went as far as to say that blessing homosexual couples is a blasphemy. This comes after Bishop Georg Baetzing, the head of the German Bishops Conference, said that he would not deny God’s blessing to those in committed same-sex relationships.
The Vatican previously attempted to slow down the German Synodal Path movement, warning that it risked causing a schism in the universal Church. The Catholic Church teaches that priests should be celibate, women cannot be priests, and while same-sex attraction is not sinful, homosexual acts are. Despite this, the German Catholic Church remains committed to debating reforms, including those regarding homosexuality.
The debate over same-sex unions in the Catholic Church has been ongoing for years, with some bishops and clergy pushing for more inclusive policies, while others maintain that such practices are heretical. As the discussion continues, pressure is mounting on Pope Francis to take a clear stance on the issue and provide guidance to the Church.