Compiled and translated from German by Bernie Aurin.
Febr. 6, 2014 - Stephan Ackermann (50), Bishop of Trier, and appointee of the German Bishop’s Conference for abuse cases, was interviewed by the “Allgemeine Zeitung” of Mainz. (Trier has a population of about 100,000 – pretty much the same it had in the 4th century when the Roman emperors resided here. Trier has been a diocese since the 3rd century – Germany’s oldest.)
The whole interview was not made available, but the newspaper article reported that the following was said by Ackermann:
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YES |
BUT . . . |
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The Church’s teaching on morals and sexual ethics needs to change |
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The recent survey has shown that the moral teaching of the Church is considered to be focussed on rules and bans and to be far removed from reality. |
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If we strengthen people’s feeling of being responsible then we also need to respect the decisions they make before their own conscience. |
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It does not fit into our times anymore to consider a marriage that follows a divorce as everlasting mortal sin and not to admit the re-married to the sacraments. |
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It is not maintainable to consider every kind of pre-marital sex to be a grave sin. |
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We cannot change the Catholic teaching completely, but we can define criteria which allow us to say that in this or that specific case it is permissible. |
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It is not right that there exists only the ideal on the one side and condemnation on the other side. |
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The distinction between natural and unnatural methods for preventing pregnancies is artificial and nobody understands this anymore. |
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The Christian image of a person is based on the two opposing sexes . . . |
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. . . but we cannot say that homosexuality is unnatural. |
Homosexuality may not be practiced as promiscuity and satisfaction of sexual instincts. |
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The Catholic Church insists on the uniqueness of the marriage between a man a woman . . . |
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. . . but if the registering of the relationship strengthens the fidelity and responsibility we cannot ignore this conscious act of taking responsibility. |
Blessing homosexual couples, as is done in the protestant churches, is not our way. |
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Celibacy is not a dogma of the Church . . . |
. . . but the priesthood includes the commitment to this type of life . . . |
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. . . but I cannot predict what changes we will see in this area in the future. |
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