Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] German Bishops Introduce a Chief-Ideologue for Homosexual Sins and "Easier" Liturgical LanguageThe German bishops have appointed a representative for "homosexual pastoral care", an office nobody needs.At the same time, normal believers are running away in droves and nobody cares.Presiding Bishop Georg Bätzing announced on 22 February that Ludger Schepers, a homosex-activist and auxiliary bishop of Essen, will take on the role, whose main task is to please the powerful bosses of the homosexual propaganda regime.Propagandists of homosexual sins ("Queer Pastoral Care") already exist in individual dioceses. Now this circus is being raised to the level of the Bishops'...

Pro-LGBT head of German bishops’ conference says he wants to ‘found the Church differently’'Open the Scriptures, preferably read them together and interpret them from your daily life.'The head of the German bishops’ Conference (DBK) has called for “new ideas” of “how we can found the Church differently.” In a sermon on July 23, during the 125th anniversary celebration of a parish church in Koblenz, Bishop Georg Bätzing, who is known as the leader and head of the heretical Synodal Way, said that he believes the Church is in a new “time of sowing.” “New ideas are needed about how we...

Bishop Georg Bätzing said that heretical same-sex ‘blessings’ have ‘already been implemented’ in Belgium and have ‘even been agreed upon with Rome.’ (LifeSiteNews) — Bishop Georg Bätzing, the head of the German bishops’ conference (DBK), said that they will implement “blessings” of same-sex couples in Germany, regardless of what the Vatican says. Asked in an interview with German TV station ZDF if Bätzing is sure that the Pope agrees with him about “blessings” of same-sex unions, the German bishop replied, “We will implement it here.” “We have worked very intensively on this,” he continued. “We have worked in four forums...

FRANKFURT, Germany (OSV News) — The final assembly of the German Synodal Way took place in Frankfurt March 9-11, where 230 bishops and lay representatives discussed issues such as blessings for homosexual couples, the ordination of women, a relaxation of mandatory celibacy and greater church involvement for lay people. The agenda, with 10 resolution texts, reflected the will of the local church to “arrive at visible changes,” the president of the German Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing, said in Frankfurt March 9. “This church deserves that we do not leave it as it is,” the German news agency KNA reported...

[Catholic Caucus] Rome Seeks ‘Dialogue’ as Bishops Act on Gay BlessingsPope Francis remains silent on heretical resolutions as errant priests escape sanctions As Pope Francis remains silent on the potential schism rocking the Catholic Church, German bishops have begun to implement the resolutions on blessings for same-sex unions and women preachers passed by the Synodal Way. Priest 'blessing' a lesbian couple in Germany "I can encourage all couples in our diocese who cannot or do not want to get married in a church, but still want their relationship to be blessed by the church, to contact us," Bishop Franz-Josef Bode,...

[Catholic Caucus] Niet! Bishop Bätzing Puts Francis in His PlaceThe German church tax bishops are adamant about setting up a "Synodal Committee", said the presiding bishop, Bätzing, at a March 2 press conference.Until now, the governing body of clergy and laity planned on the Anglican model was called "Synodal Council". The plans have been categorically rejected by the Vatican via Nuncio Eterović but of course without threatening any consequences.Bätzing explicitly distanced himself from Francis: "Here I say: Holy Father, you can bring that up, yes. But you cannot demand that people accept it."According to Kna.de, he admitted that Eterović's objection...

German Bishops’ President Rebukes Pope Francis for Criticism of Synodal WayBishop Bätzing was referring to comments Pope Francis made about the Synodal Way, among other subjects, in a wide-ranging interview last week with the Associated Press. Bishop Georg Bätzing has criticized Pope Francis and dismissed the Pope’s recent words that the controversial German Synodal Way is unhelpful, damaging, and ideologically poisoned, saying the Germans had “fundamentally different views of synodality” than Rome. In an interview published Jan. 27, the president of Germany’s Bishops’ Conference said he considered the Pope’s “way of leading the Church by way of interviews” as “extremely...

[Catholic Caucus] German bishop announces new guidelines forcing priests to accept homosexuality, transgenderismMathias von Gersdorff, head of the German office of the traditional Catholic organization TFP, wrote on Twitter that '(Bishop Georg) Bätzing breaks definitively with Catholic morals and FORCES also pastors, diocesan institutions to do it.'LIMBURG, Germany (LifeSiteNews) — The head of the German bishops’ Conference (DBK) introduced binding guidelines on sexual education for all parishes in his diocese that force them to accept and promote homosexuality and transgenderism.According to these 10 guidelines, “there is diversity in sexual identity and orientation.” The guidelines furthermore state the following:The appreciative handling...

Head of German bishops’ conference says he will not accept Vatican’s ‘No’ on women priests 'Access to the ecclesiastical office must be opened up, or it is hard to imagine the future of the Church in our country,” said Bishop Georg Bätzing.(LifeSiteNews) — The head of the German bishops’ conference has declared that he does not want to “accept an irrevocable ‘No’ from the Vatican” regarding the ordination of women priests. According to a report by the German bishops’ own news site katholisch.de, Bishop Georg Bätzing said that “even if Rome sees this point as settled, it is still an...

[Catholic Caucus] Vatican urges ‘moratorium’ on German church reform processROME – In what was described as a “frank” discussion in Rome Friday between Vatican department heads and German bishops over their contested “Synodal Path” reforms, a proposal to cease and desist the process was made and rejected.62 German bishops were in Rome this week for their ad limina visit, which bishops’ conferences make every few years in order to meet with the pope and various Vatican departments to provide an update on local church affairs.Notably, the German bishops this week did not hold separate meetings with the pope and Vatican...

German Catholic leaders ‘astonished’ at Vatican warning about ‘Synodal Path’ROME – After a warning from the Vatican Thursday to German bishops against stoking division in their “Synodal Path” consultation process, pioneers of the initiative have hit back, saying they were “astonished” by the rebuke and hope to discuss contentious matters in a more formal setting.In a statement Thursday, the Vatican said Germany’s synodal path is a threat to church unity at a universal level and stressed that the undertaking lacks the authority to compel bishops to make changes on doctrine or morality.RELATED: Vatican says Germany’s ‘synodal path’ has no power...

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis said in an interview published on Tuesday that he told the leader of Germany’s Catholic bishops that the country already had “a very good Evangelical Church” and “we don’t need two.”The Pope recalled his remark to Bishop Georg Bätzing, chairman of the German bishops’ conference, during a conversation with the editors of Jesuit Magazine journals. The dialogue, which also touched on the war in Ukraine and opposition to Vatican II, was published in La Civiltà Cattolica on June 14 but was conducted on May 19.The Pope was asked what he thought of the German “Synodal...

Bishop Bätzing added that Pope Francis ‘disappoints’ him since the Pope is not enacting enough change in the Church.(LifeSiteNews) – Bishop Georg Bätzing, president of the German Bishop’s Conference (DBK), has demanded that Catholic Church teaching on homosexuality and the role of women “must be changed.” Bätzing made the comments in a May 22 interview which dealt extensively with his desire for change in the Church, along with his disappointment at Pope Francis for not ushering in enough change. Meanwhile Bishop Bätzing is forging ahead with radical attempted changes to Church teaching in Germany via the Synodal Way, looking to...

[Catholic Caucus] Church Unity Is "Illusion," Church Must "Appreciate" Homosex - Presiding German BishopThe Church's teaching on homosexuality must be "changed,” presiding German bishop Georg Bätzing told DeutschlandFunk.de (May 20).He believes that “homosexuals living in relationships" should not be "discriminated" but be considered "an opportunity that is treated with respect.”Bätzing has not yet performed a homosexual “blessing,” but he defends it: “The practice exists, and I will not discipline anyone who performs a blessing.” In real life, God calls practiced homosexuality an abomination (Sacred Scripture).Besides, Bätzing is fighting for women priests but knows from several conversations that Francis decidedly holds...

The assembly of the synodal path has voted in favor of documents calling for the priestly ordination of women, same-sex blessings, and changes to teaching on homosexual acts.The president of the German bishops’ conference has expressed his belief that Church teaching needs further development, in response to critique of the synodal path in that country.The statement came in the latest instance of epistolary exchange between Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg and Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver.“Our Church needs change in order to faithfully carry out her mission and take the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of our...

For Catholics ‘Concerned’ About Germany, What’s Happening in Bätzing’s Limburg Offers a Case in PointThe website of the Diocese of Limburg published a report on the panel discussion ‘Out in Church,’ without criticizing it or clarifying Church teaching. FRANKFURT, Germany — “The focus is too much on homosexual men!” said Eric Tilch at a panel discussion in Frankfurt last Wednesday hosted by the Diocese of Limburg — the bishopric headed by Bishop Georg Bätzing, president of the German Catholic bishops’ conference. But Tilch, a Church youth education officer, wasn’t protesting against the homosexual agenda or seeking to uphold the...

[Catholic Caucus] German Diocese: Now Comes Homosexual PromiscuityHe can only feel accepted by the Church as a homosexual "if I am also accepted with changing partners," Eric Tilch, a militant homosexual whom Limburg diocese employs as a "youth education officer," let the cat out of the bag at a panel discussion on March 7 (BistumLimburg.de).Limburg diocese is currently in the process of being sunk by Bishop Georg Bätzing, the President of the German Bishops. Tilch revealed that the German Church accepts “stable" homosex partnerships but said it should extend that to homosexual promiscuity.In March, the diocese decreed that no diocesan...

CNA Deutsch reported that excerpts from Bishop Bätzing’s letter to Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki were published on the German bishops’ conference website on March 24.The chairman of Germany’s Catholic bishops’ conference has responded to a strongly worded critique of the “Synodal Way” by his Polish counterpart. Bishop Georg Bätzing said in a March 16 letter that he sought “a real theological exchange” with Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki over the direction of the controversial multiyear process bringing together Germany’s bishops and laypeople. CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner, reported that excerpts from Bishop Bätzing’s letter were published on the German bishops’ conference website...

Jesuit Cardinal Hollerich of Luxembourg and Bishop Bätzing of Limburg have both called for changes to the Church’s teaching on homosexuality in recent interviews.VATICAN CITY — Cardinal George Pell has called on the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) to publicly reprimand two of Europe’s most senior bishops for what he said was their “wholesale and explicit rejection” of the Church’s teaching on sexual ethics. In a statement released March 15, Cardinal Pell asked the Vatican’s doctrinal congregation to “intervene and pronounce judgment” on comments made by Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the relator general of the Vatican Synod on...

German Bishops Chairman: Gay Sex Does Not Harm ‘One’s Relationship with God’ROME — The Chairman of the German Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing, has urged the Catholic Church to change its teaching on sexual morality, insisting that gay sex does not harm a person’s relationship with God.Same-sex relations are okay, Bishop Bätzing told the German magazine Bunte in its March 4 issue, “as long as they are carried out with loyalty and responsibility.”“It doesn’t affect one’s relationship with God,” the bishop added.Bätzing went on to say that how a person lives their personal intimacy “is none of my business.”In...