A prominent Catholic cardinal has called for a “fundamental revision” of the Church’s teachings on homosexuality.
Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich told a German outlet that “the sociological-scientific foundation” of the religion’s stance on the LGBT community is “no longer correct.”
Hollerich, president of the pan-European grouping of Catholic bishops’ conferences, also said the Church should not fire employees for being gay.
He made his remarks after a group of gay German Catholics who work for the Church initiated a publicity campaign saying they want to “live openly without fear.”
From The National Catholic Reporter:
It was important for the church to remain human, Hollerich said. He added that he knew of homosexual priests and laypeople in the archdiocese of Luxembourg.
“And they know that they have a home in the church,” said the cardinal. “With us, no one is dismissed because they are homosexual, with us no one has ever been dismissed because of that.”
Divorced and remarried people were also active in the church in the Archdiocese of Luxembourg, said Hollerich. “I can’t kick them out,” he said. “They would become unemployed. How can such a thing be Christian?”
“They know they have a home in the Church. With us (the Luxembourg archdiocese) no one is dismissed because they are homosexual,” Hollerich added.
Reuters provides key context:
Homosexuality is one of the most controversial issues in the 1.3 billion-member Church, with conservatives accusing Pope Francis of giving mixed signals and confusing the faithful.
Francis has said that while the Church cannot accept same-sex marriage, it can support civil union laws aimed at giving gay partners joint rights in areas of pensions, health care and inheritance.
He has sent notes of appreciation to priests and nuns who minister to gay Catholics and said parents of gay children should never condemn them, but under his watch the Vatican has also said priests cannot not bless same-sex couples.
