BONN, Germany — With potentially far-reaching consequences, the bishops of Germany have voted by more than a two-thirds majority to relax Church labor laws to allow civilly remarried employees or those living in same-sex unions to retain their jobs with Church institutions.
In an announcement Tuesday, the German bishops’ conference in Bonn said the majority of bishops had ruled that immediate dismissal will only be a “last resort” for employees who are divorced and subsequently “remarry” or those living in a registered partnership.
Until now, such employees were required to be dismissed from such employment, although the rules were often ignored. The Church is the second-largest employer in Germany.
“An automatic dismissal may now in future be ruled as out of the question,” said Alois Glück, president of the Central Committee of German Catholics, the country’s top lay Catholic organization. From now on, he said, any public violation of loyalty to Church teachings must be examined on a case-by-case basis.
The amendment, when enacted by a bishop, explicitly overturns a 2002 ecclesiastical law, which stipulated that all Church employees need to be loyal to the magisterium. Glück said the change “represents a substantial paradigm shift in the application of ecclesiastical law,” adding that the new regulation will “open the way” for decisions to be made in accordance with “human justice.”
The lack of unanimity among bishops means the new regulation is left to Germany’s 27 bishops to implement the reform in their dioceses. But in practice, it could be unlikely that any bishop will be able to resist the new measures. According to the official statement, the bishops’ conference is setting up “an additional working group” to examine the question of whether the Church’s labor law can be “more institutionally oriented” in a bid to make it a nationwide and uniform labor structure. The bishops’ conference has also instructed dioceses to publicize the changes in their diocesan newsletters. This is required to formally enact the law.
“I expect and hope this will happen everywhere,” Cardinal Rainer Woelki, the archbishop of Cologne, said in a May 6 interview with Katholisch.de. The cardinal, who headed the committee that drew up the new law, said the first objective of the amendment is to ensure “compliance with lived practice,” but denied the amendment in any way undermines the principle of the indissolubility of marriage.
Caritas Germany, which employs 591,000 staff, welcomed the change. President Peter Neher said Church institutions need a “broader understanding of the concept of loyalty” and that ecclesiastical labor law should reflect how the Catholic Church “stands alongside” those who live broken lives.
Unilateral Action
The law reform is viewed as affirmation of recent remarks made by the president of the German bishops’ conference, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, who said the German episcopate is “not just a subsidiary of Rome” and that it “cannot wait” until the upcoming synod on the family in October.
Some Church observers see the change as representing a kind of “gradualism” whereby the magisterium must continue to be upheld among those employed as “proclaimers of the Gospel” — that is, priests, deacons and pastoral workers — but not for others. The critics argue that it is instilling a kind of schizophrenia in the Church whereby an openly active homosexual Catholic can be employed in a Church institution but a pastoral assistant or catechist must “stick to the rules.” They also point out that faithful Catholics will now be supporting active homosexual employees and public adulterers through the Church tax.
For this reason, according to the critics, the move represents a striking break with fundamental Church teachings.
“What they are pushing is not Catholic anymore,” said one source close to the German hierarchy. “This is an arbitrary law that is against divine law, the natural law and ecclesiastical law. It’s Protestant what they are doing, and they must think we’re idiots not to realize this.”
The reform has been considered for years, the German bishops said. The episcopal conference had planned to vote on the new law last November but postponed it after a federal court ruled in favor of current Church labor law regarding dismissal of a divorced-and-civilly-remarried employee.
Following the announcement Tuesday, the bishops’ conference organized a campaign throughout the German Catholic media in support of the decision, drawing on members of Catholic institutions favorable to the decision.
And Jesuit Father Hans Langendörfer, secretary of the bishops’ conference and one of the key figures behind the new law, wrote a letter to all bishops instructing them on the change, stressing that the law should be implemented by Aug. 1.
The date is notable, as it is well before the October synod and just ahead of the German bishops’ ad limina visit to the Vatican in September. The visit fulfills the Church requirement that all bishops must report to the Vatican every five years on the status of their dioceses. With characteristic German efficiency, observers say, the bishops’ conference is working on presenting the change as a fait accompli in time for the synod.
Cardinal Woelki
The leading figure behind the labor reform is Cardinal Woelki, who has not only headed the commission on changing the labor law but also heads the bishops’ committee for overseeing Caritas Germany.
In 2012, when he was archbishop of Berlin, the cardinal caused controversy by saying that if two homosexuals “take responsibility for each other, if they take care of each other permanently and faithfully, this must be viewed in a similar manner as with heterosexual relationships.” During last year’s synod, a move to see positive aspects of such unions was roundly rejected by synod fathers. This latest development will therefore be viewed in some quarters as a victory for the homosexual-rights proponents.
The news of the change to labor law comes after the disclosure of a pre-synod questionnaire, which revealed that only 54% of priests there go to confession even once a year; only 58% of priests pray daily; 60% percent of parishioners don’t believe in life after death; and 66% don’t believe in Christ’s resurrection.
It also showed that German bishops hope that civil second marriages will be blessed in church, that holy Communion will be given to non-Catholic spouses and that “positive aspects” of homosexual relationships and same-sex unions will be recognized.
Whether the labor amendment really is in line with canon law and doctrine and, if it is not, how Rome will react has yet to be determined.
Edward Pentin is the Register’s Rome correspondent.
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lorenzo, the CCC also states that the parents are the prime teachers of their children.
In fact, parents who do not teach their children the Faith should confess it.
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Due to both parents working outside the home, and family obligations - many parents do not have time to attend regularly scheduled classes at the Parish.
This is why it is very important to prominently and actively encourage all the literate to read both the Bible and CCC at HOME.
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There are no excuses for the literate,
or for the Priests not encouraging from the pulpit, from Diocese web sites, and Parish bulletins - reading of these Books at home.
(Parish classes are good for those who can and are able to attend.)
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“….the CATECHISM has raised throughout the world, even among non-Christians, and confirms its purpose of being presented as a full, complete exposition of Catholic doctrine,
enabling everyone to know what the Church professes, celebrates, lives, and prays in her daily life.” – Pope John Paul II (CCC pg xiv)
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ANNE..
How involved were you in catechizing your children? Did you leave that to the priests and bishops alone? Were your parents involved in catechizing you? You are right in saying that parents are primarily responsible. It is in scripture. Bishops and priests do encourage parents to do so and in addition provide them volunteer staff to assist them. Parishes hold adult education classes because priests and bishops understand that they are scripturally expected to spread the gospel. Unfortunately so few parents have time to attend or don’t make it a priority to prepare themselves to teach their children.
Ben, both Forms of the Mass are Holy when done in accord with the 1962 Missal or GIRM. Abuses must not be tolerated and reported to the appropriate Diocese Bishop by the Laity. If you (or others) witness abuses, you have an obligation (duty) to report them.
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All those things instituted by Christ are in both Forms of the Mass.
Vestments and rubrics instituted by men can be changed by any Pope, and have been several times over the centuries since the time of Christ.
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Btw, anyone attending the OF Mass has the choice of receiving the Eucharist kneeling and/or on the tongue.
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You can not blame any Council of the Church for the sins of Clergy or others. If you fully read the 16 Documents, you will see that many things instituted AFTER V II were NEVER in the V II Documents, and some things instituted actually violate the V II Docs.
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- - - You can blame much on the lack of teaching the Faith - accurately and fully by many Priests and many Diocese Bishops.
- - - You can blame the literate laity for not taking the time to read both a Catholic Bible and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition” of 1997 from cover to cover.
Each has a RESPONSIBILITY that they have neglected, and for which they will be held accountable.
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Ben in RI
What is wrong with the faith and liturgy practiced today. Be specific or say no more
This wouldn’t be happening if the Church hadn’t abandoned its venerable rites of worship to God. Instead, we have virtually worshiped as pseudo-Protestants for 50 years, and this has resulted.
Still believe in that “New Springtime” of the Church since Vatican II?
It is time to return to traditional Faith and Liturgy. http://www.fssp.com
Gabriella, the Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ, Who, Himself, gave the symbolic “Keys” (symbolic of authority) to the “Kingdom of Heaven” to the Apostle Peter (Mt 16:19ff)—This “authority” has been handed down through “Peter’s” successors ever since, and will be “until the end of time.” You can also find the List of Popes since Peter in the back of the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Edition.”)
Stuart, it is possible that the bishops can better discern the spirit. But if the spirit is telling them the church has been in error for the last 2k years, they need to apologize to all Catholics and admit that on the issue of divorce and remarriage the Orthodox Church has been right all along and on the issue of homosexuality, the Anglican Church has discerned the spirit long before them. You can’t make a sea change on doctrine and not admit you were in grave error. Of course if they do that they are no longer the keepers of the truth and they need to acknowledge that once again the Orthodox Church has been right all along; Rome is just one of many ancient and respected churches; there is obviously no special connection between Rome and God.
I really doubt the church will acknowledge its fallibility, so there will be some torturous explanation about how a total rejection of previous doctrine really isn’t a change. No one will buy it. Divorced Catholics and gays will not flock back to the church and many sincere people will leave and find refuge in more honest denominations.
Stuart Kenny, As long as the Bishops are not making propositions or statements that oppose the Truth and Church teaching, we would most likely assume that. If they have shown us, by their lives and example, their closeness to God and their holiness, yes we follow, but even Christ and the Apostles ask us to listen to what is being said and not to follow false teaching. When a Bishop speaks in terms of human logic or drama like the Bishop’s statement above that is looking to inflame sentiment and not holiness, that a faithful homosexual relationship should be looked at like a heterosexual one, there is a lack of understanding of the spiritual there or a desire to change God’s Truth. God was clear about adultery and same sex relations. There MUST be repentance. A same sex relationship is ALWAYS gravely sinful and has grave consequences to souls and it is an insult to a faithful heterosexual relationship and a chasm of misunderstanding of why homosexual relations are sinful. It doesn’t help that we have learned that many homosexuals are in the priesthood who do not hate the sin nor repent of it. Trust issues are definitely raised here. Also, the German Bling Bishop etc. seem to indicate a clergy caught up in the worldly. All these issues should raise a heightened awareness that there is a danger here.
There are various levels of Teaching Authority in the Catholic Church: Broadly speaking, the highest level of teaching authority is Solemn, Infallible Proclamations of the Pope. The most recent Dogmatic proclamation was when POPE PIUS XII proclaimed the “Dogma of the Assumption of Mary, Body and Soul into Heaven” in the 1950’s….Before that, in 1854 the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX. A similar level of Teaching Authority is the proclaimed teaching of Councils convened by the Pope, e.g. Vatican II Documents— as well as Synods called by the Pope—Nonetheless, not all documents coming out of Councils and Synods contain the same “level” of teaching. Lastly, the Ordinary Teaching of the Pope and the Bishops united with the Pope. “The Faithful” are to “adhere” even to these ordinary teachings of the Pope (as well as the Bishops in union with the Pope) with the “assent of faith.” (CCC 891-892) The “Adult Catechism of the Catholic Church” is a wonderful source of information re. all that the Church believes and teaches in matters of faith and morals.
We need the strength and courage that St. John the Baptist had. Please keep praying the rosary for all.
Stuart Kenny, what Bishops are you talking about in your posts May 9, 2015 12:40 AM ?
Or the German Bishops (and some other Bishops)who are proposing violating the “Doctrine of the Faith” ?
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Are you talking about the Magisterium, which must include the Pope - regarding matters of Faith and Morals?
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“The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which I approved … and the publication of which I today order by virtue of my Apostolic Authority, is a statement of the Church’s faith and of catholic doctrine,
attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition and the Church’s Magisterium.” - Pope John Paul II, CCC, pg 5.
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” The Church’s catechesis has traditionally been structured around these four elements; this includes the CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH, which is a fundamental aid for that unitary act with which the Church communicates the entire content of her faith:
“all that she herself is, and all that she believes”. “ - Pope Francis (Encyclical Letter LUMEN FIDEI, 2013)
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Isn’t it possible that the bishops know more than you do? Isn’t it possible that the Pope does a better job of discerning the Holy Spirit than you do? If you think there is a higher authority than the Pope or the bishops, then why are you Catholic? Shouldn’t you be giving bishops and the Pope your assent? You are the ones who are Protestants and in schism.
It’s very simple. The Germans are headed for another schism. Luther seems to have won in Germany. But they will not be Catholic anymore.
Our decisions lead us in a direction. The Bishop’s statement about a faithful, caring same sex couple being regarded like a heterosexual couple is a very dangerous erroneous statement. First of all God was clear that same sex relations are gravely sinful. The Apostles, taught by Christ, reaffirmed that this had not changed despite Christ’s death on the Cross for our redemption. “No disciple is greater than the teacher.” But it seems here the Bishops are saying Christ got it wrong. God does not want His followers under the spell of false Gods. People can have wonderful gifts and be in a terrible state of sin that can harm others and the faith most of all. It is possible people would be willing to repent not to be fired so it is hard to argue that firing has to be automatic, but when someone is NOT repentant, what do they bring to the Catholic community? If you don’t know by now, you will know by the fruit. The faith will be perverted to accommodate or under attack; the laity and especially the young will get a very incoherent message; the person in sin will be the victim and the person of faith will be the bad guy. Sin begets sin. Sin has consequences. If we are unfaithful, it will harm the Church. How many homosexuals are in the priesthood in Germany? I would guess too many.
We can only pray whit the G.B.C. have do will bring it out in the open for the church to say whit should be the teaching of the Family Synod and that P.F. will do whit right, known about Martin Luther and whit he did for the church in the west and maybe the new catholic church in Germany led by there new lenders will go on to a new spring time of the new GERMAN CHURCH WITH ALL THE €€€€€ THAT THEY HAVE TO SPIND, And one more that there will be a new church there of all the so called Germany and Swiss to go and do whit they won’t to do and level the rest of the truth church alone at last.
To all those who are wondering just what is happening in the Church today,
go to your Catechism and read #675: The Church’s Ultimate Trial….(and it
becomes crystal clear)... ” The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom
only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his
death and Resurrection. The kingdom will will be fulfilled,then, not by a
historic triumph of the Church,through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God’s victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause His
Bride to come down from Heaven. God’s triumph over evil will take the
form of the Last Judgment when after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world”. Seems pretty plain to me! The faithful must take up the
weapon of the rosary and pray that all may stay strong in their faith and
not be persuaded by those who dissent from Truth.
Donald Link,
LOL! NB: You apparently have not actually read what I posted. I am not telling anyone to do anything. AGAIN, here is what I actually posted:
I do not care what the RCC looks like. That is for RCs to decide. It will be interesting to see what that decision will be and to witness both the short-term & long-term effects of that decision. Will the German church split from Rome? Will other national episcopates follow Germany? If so, which ones will that be? Will the German bishops backtrack on this current move after the Synod? How will Rome to respond to Germany before & after the Synod? And obviously there are many other questions that arise from what the German bishops are doing.
So commenting on the questions that arise from the decision of the German bishops is “telling ” RCs how to run the RCC???? Really????
In brief: the German Bishops are separating from the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Rome and all who are in union with “Peter, the ROCK” on which JESUS HAS BUILT HIS CHURCH AND PROMISED TO BE WITH “UNTIL THE END OF TIME!” The Biblical Teaching of St. Paul: 1 Cor. 6:9-11 is very clear: “Do not be deceived: neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves….will inherit the kingdom of God.” It is a very, very sad day, indeed, for the Catholic Church in Germany! We must PRAY the Bishops realize what they are doing in leading the Faithful in Germany (and even in other parts of the world) astray in a grave matter—and REPENT!
It would appear that some of the comments posted here are in collusion with the majority of the German bishops. Too bad they are not “up” on their faith and what it teaches. It’s amazing that sodomy or adultery are no longer sins…..how did that ever happen? The billions of dollars that is turned over to the Bishops by the tax surely is a big factor - and of course Satan had a hand in that. But wait a minute….seems that only murder is the grave sin in our culture now…..and of course we cannot be judgmental as well, but going out on a limb, there are more and more destined for hell. Oh, I forgot, not that many believe there remains such a place as hell any more.
Last Saturday was St. Athanasuis feast day. He stood up for the teachings of Christ and His Church. Even though it cost him a lot. He helped save our faith for us. I hope we will stand also for our faith and not let those who think they have power to take it clear down. Come Holy Spirit and renew your Church heal the hearts of those in power.
I think Catholics world-wide, and non-Catholic Christians in Reformed Protestant churches, should do a joint Bible study on the letters First and Second Peter.
Peter warned The Church of False teachers. We can learn from what Peter wrote. This is so wrong. It is good for us to be aware that some of our own church leaders are officially Apostate and they are leading us into a path that strays from God.
The proverbial slippery slpoe
Good for the Germans. I’m glad some Catholics have common sense.
The author says: “How Rome will react has yet ot be determined”. The sad truth is that the German Bishops have nothing to fear from Rome. Pope Francis will not lift a finger against them. The evil course of the events will not change, unless a revolution happens in the Church. There’s only one way left nowadays to hurt the Modernists and that is by joining the SSPX. The best strategy for the faithful and for faithful clergy is to leave the Church establishment of the Vatican II Church and join the SSPX.
Hooray for the German Bishops Conference!
The author of this article is telling half-truths ... the Family Synod first draft was not resoundingly thrown out ... the section on welcoming homosexual persons failed to achieve a two-thirds majority by two votes.
The dissatisfaction with current legalistic means of “not caring for” divorced and remarried Catholics has been expressed by Pope Francis and a great majority of Catholic Bishops, religious, theologians and laity ... the Sensus Fidei. (see most recent PEW, CARA and World Family Synod surveys and Family Synod results).
Catholicism is truthful ... shame on you for attempting to demonize our German Catholic Bishops.
Just cast your eyes on the photo of the cardinal: look at his dyed hair ! That ought to give you some idea of why all of this nonsense is being proposed.
I can’t help thinking that the photograph of the Cardinal shows him to possess unnaturally dark hair for a chap of his age. On the other hand, he may have discovered how to relax under pressure. Let us hope he will shortly reveal his secret.
“...the new regulation is left to Germany’s 27 bishops to implement the reform in their dioceses.”
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Could we have clarification on this statement please? I think that there surely must be more than 27 Catholic bishops in Germany. Is there a digit missing in this number?
It would seem that a policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” would have been more appropriate than this in your face action by the German bishops. There is something to be said for Oscar Wilde’s dictum that “hypocrisy is the tribute that vice pays to virtue.” NB Please LisaK: Spare us the instruction on how to run our church. Coming from a denomination whose majority reform congregations are little distinguishable from the average Unitarian service and theology, I think it presumptous to be commenting on matters of theological discipline.
Lorenzo,
My previous post here was not “nitpicking”. It was merely a comment that this current move by the German bishops will create quite kerfuffle ahead of the Synod on the Family.
That being said, I do not care what the RCC looks like. That is for RCs to decide. It will be interesting to see what that decision will be and to witness both the short-term & long-term effects of that decision. Will the German church split from Rome? Will other national episcopates follow Germany? If so, which ones will that be? Will the German bishops backtrack on this current move after the Synod? How will Rome to respond to Germany before & after the Synod? And obviously there are many other questions that arise from what the German bishops are doing.
It will be interesting what happens, if anything, within the RCC as a result of what the German bishops have decided.
Just more evidence that the Novus Ordo religion and Vatican II hierarchy are not Catholic.
lorenzo, lisakaiser is Jewish (and according to her a liberal Jew who does not adhere to the Jewish Faith either) - sort of a relativistic form of the Jewish faith.
She has nothing better to do with her time than to post on Catholic web sites.
She does not believe that Jesus is God.
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Her opinions about the Catholic Faith mean absolutely nothing.
Please consider not encouraging her.
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This is where the Protestant Reformation started….should we be surprised? Obviously Pope Benedict is a vanishing breed in Germany. THe bishops who voted this in should be summarily excommunicated.
It appears that on several matters of Faith and Morals the majority of German Bishops defy the Faith.
They cause grave SCANDAL, which can lead to the loss of Souls by their apparent promotion and/or approval of sin.
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The Bishops (and the rest of us)actually become participants in the sins of others when -
CCC: “1868 Sin is a personal act. Moreover, we have a responsibility for the sins committed by others when we cooperate in them:
- by participating directly and voluntarily in them;
- by ordering, advising, praising, or approving them;
- by not disclosing or not hindering them when we have an obligation to do so;
- by protecting evil-doers.”
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People learn by word as well as by example.
Confusion is a tool of the devil.
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German Bishops need to read and actively promote the reading of Sacred Scripture and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition”.
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So according to the German Bishops it is ok to allow those those who are unrepentant in their same sex or heterosexual activity that defy Christ are to be allowed admittance to Holy Communion and employment but those who refuse to pay the “Church tax” are denied the Sacraments. These so-called leaders are nothing more than liars and hypocrites who should be cleansed and removed by the Holy Father. Their arrogance and defiance is leading many souls astray and They will have much to answer for when they appear before Our Lord.
This is so sad. The Germans are doing it again. First Martin Luther and now this. Satan must be delighted.
So Lisa Kaiser…Your posts are all so oppositionaly set against Rome, the Magisterium of the Church and on the side of far left wackos. I am curious as to what you would see the Catholic Church look like. Give us the big picture and quit your nitpicking
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2015/05/highlights-of-german-bishops-official.html#more
If the German Bishops are allowed to attend the Synod, even though they deny that God Is The Author of Love, Life, and Marriage, the Faithful must not attend.
These bishops need to congratulated! Finally bishops who have balls.
Bernard like where did these figures come from? Like a priest is going to admit, if true, that he doesn’t pray, don’t go to confession. I mean really, mind your business!
So sad. It seems that the Catholic Church in Germany, with all of its beautiful churches, is fading away, even after a great German pope. Thank God for Cardinal Muller, seemingly the rare German Cardinal or bishop who remains strongly Catholic.
Dan,
I think interdict died out in the Middle Ages. This is the 21st century.
And why should lay RCs bear the consequences if Rome is mad at the German bishops???
Germany seems to have thrown the gauntlet in the face of Rome (bravo—about time someone did). The ensuing kerfuffle will make for an interesting spectacle.
It’s pretty clear that much of the German hierarchy puts their own beliefs before faith in Christ. They’ve given up on the message that Jesus can heal those in these broken situations if they repent. The new German message is that repentance and salvation is none of their business. The entire country should be placed under interdict.
I thought Church attendance was way down in European countries such as Germany…how is it then that they are the second largest employer? Maybe if one researched where the Church in Germany gets its money from we might find the reason why the Bishops have now relaxed their employment rules!
It will also be used as propaganda against bishops in the US and elsewhere. These bishops should be spanked. Oh, I forgot spanking is illegal in Germany.
Finally have some bishops who ” get it”. Thanks be to God!
This attitude is so terribly wrong.
‘It also showed that German bishops hope that civil second marriages will be blessed in Church, that holy Communion will be given to non-Catholic spouses, and that “positive aspects” of homosexual relationships and same-sex unions will be recognized.’
The church cannot stand by this. We must pray for these misguided souls.
This is horrifying! My German-Catholic forebears must be turning in their graves. From reading the following, it appears that heresy is widespread in Germany and a state of unofficial schism exists:
“...Only 54% of priests there go to confession even once a year; only 58% of priests pray daily; 60% percent of parishioners don’t believe in life after death; and 66% don’t believe in Christ’s Resurrection.”
Let’s pray that Pope Francis and the Bishops at the upcoming synod are FEARLESS and STAUNCH in their support of the Church’s ancient teaching on marriage and the necessity to be in a state of grace to worthily (and safely)receive Holy Communion, see 1 Cor. 11:27-29.
These bishops are misguided and are in the process of starting a secular sect, the First Church of Anything Goes.
Sad.
Of course it is schizophrenic, as the critics state. The church has been going through this for decades now, in Germany and in many other countries, whereby people who don’t care about adherence to church teaching are allowed to work for the church. It is absurd. The church will never be on the right track as long as this is tolerated.
The church needs a major cleansing, there is no other way to solve this issue.
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