German Cardinal, on Equality of Same ? Sex Relationships ...

According to ?The Local?, an English ? language German news source, an eminent German cardinal has called for equal treatment in the Church for same ?- sex and opposite sex relationship.

But some momentum for change was evident from a speech by Berlin Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki.

He told a crowd on Thursday that the church should view long-term, faithful homosexual relationships as they do heterosexual ones.

?When two homosexuals take responsibility for one another, if they deal with each other in a faithful and long-term way, then you have to see it in the same way as heterosexual relationships,? Woelki told an astonished crowd, according to a story in the?Tagesspiegel?newspaper.

Woekli acknowledged that the church saw the relationship between a man and a woman as the basis for creation, but added that it was time to think further about the church?s attitude toward same sex relationships.

-The Local

I was alerted to this by a post at Bondings, where Francis DeBenardo points out, quite correctly, that this follows on some other bishops who have started to recognize there is value in legal recognition for civil unions: Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, for instance, and??Bishop Paolo Urso of Ragusa, Italy, and Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, who called for a pretty fundamental reform of the whole of Catholic sexual ethics ? emphasising relationships, over rules about sexual acts. ?In a slightly different category, we could call to mind how the bishops of New Hampshire (recently) and of Portugal (a few years ago), attempted to promote civil unions ? as an alternative to full unions. Or, we could remember Cardinal Christoph Schonborn of Vienna, who in April 2010 remarked that it is time for the Church to shift its attention from homosexual genital acts, to the quality of relationships ? followed by several more bishops.

So there?s a definite pattern here: a small but growing number of senior clergy starting to do precisely what Cardinal Schonborn suggested, talking about the quality of same ? sex relationships, and possible ways for the Catholic Church to respond to them. This is a long way from the language of the Catechism, which states that we must all recognize the importance of sexuality, and integrate it into our personalities ? but insists that this can only take place in a heterosexual marriage; or of Homosexualitatis Problema (the ?Hallowe?en letter?, which shows a markedly asymmetric response to sexual orientations: heterosexuality is described in terms of loving conjugal acts ? but homosexuality only in terms of genital acts, and gratuitous self- indulgence, with recognition of even the possibility of loving same ? sex relationships.

So, there is progress, and Cardinal Woelki?s words represent further good news -?but I fear, not quite as good as the report in The Local implies. I have not found too many German language reports, and the ones I have are brief, but it seems that what he said was not that the church ?should? change its teaching, but that it ?could? change.

The real conclusion, I believe is not that there could be change, or should be change, but there will be change: just not yet.

For example, here?s the Kollner Stadtanzeiger (the most complete report I have yet found:

Der Berliner Erzbischof Rainer Maria Woelki h?lt es f?r m?glich, dass die katholische Kirche ihre strikte Haltung gegen?ber Schwulen und Lesben langfristig aufweicht. Bislang wird Homosexualit?t von der Kirche generell verurteilt. Es sei denkbar, dass die Kriterien daf?r verfeinert w?rden. So halte er es f?r vorstellbar, dass ?dort, wo Menschen Verantwortung f?reinander ?bernehmen, wo sie in einer dauerhaften homosexuellen Beziehung leben und umgehen, dass das in ?hnlicher Weise zu einer heterosexuellen Beziehung anzusehen ist?, sagte Woelki am Donnerstag beim Katholikentag in Mannheim.

Allerdings d?rfe niemand mit einem schnellen Sinneswandel der Kirche in dieser Frage rechnen. Schnellsch?sse werde es nicht geben, ein solcher Prozess k?nne sehr lange dauern. Vor allem werde sich auch nichts daran ?ndern, dass die Ehe zwischen Mann und Frau f?r die katholische Kirche eine besondere Stellung habe, betonte Woelki.

-ksta.de

• ?h?lt es f?r m?glich? ? considers it possible;
• ?Es sei denkbar? ? ?it is conceivable.

Very different, both, from ?The Local? translation as ?should?. Also note the important caution at the end, which was not included in The Local?s report ? he doesn?t see this happening any time soon.

But for all that, good news indeed, as a further straw in the wind, pointing to the change that is coming. And that, I think, is the real conclusion to be drawn: not that the Church ?should? change its sexual teaching, or that it ?should? change, but that it surely will change: the process has begun. We just don?t know how long it will take.

Here?s the full Google translate text of the passage quoted above. I may sort out a better version tomorrow ? ?but right now it?s late (just returned from Mass in Soho), and past my bedtime):

The?Archbishop?of Berlin?Rainer?Maria?Woelki?believes it is possible?that the Catholic Church?soften?its strict?attitude?towards gays?and lesbians?in the long term.?So far, homosexuality?is?condemned by the?Church?in general.

It?is?conceivable?that the criteria?were?refined?for that.?He?think it is?conceivable that?where?people?take responsibility?for each other,?where?they live?in a stable?homosexual relationship?and?avoid?that?which is regarded?in a similar?way?to?a heterosexualrelationship,??Woelki?said?on Thursday at the?Catholic Congress in?Mannheim.

However,?no one?should?expect a?rapid?change of?the Church?on this issue.?There will be no?quick fixes,?such a process?could?take a long time.?Above all,?will?not do anything about?it,?that marriage between a?man?and?woman for?the Catholic?Church has?a special position,?said?Woelki.

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