The Bavarian Catholic Archdiocese of Munich-Freising has announced the creation of a nationwide “diocesan network for queer pastoral care”, staffed by specially trained pastoral care workers. The new service aims to offer support to queer individuals, as well as their families, and is part of the archdiocese’s efforts to increase inclusivity.
The archdiocese’s head of administrative center, Ruth Huber, hailed the new service as a “big step” towards greater inclusion of queer believers in the Catholic Church. The archdiocese is not the first in Germany to offer such services, but it is considered one of the country’s most important archdioceses, having previously been led by Pope Benedict XVI.
The German Bishops’ Conference has also been actively involved in promoting queer pastoral care, with Auxiliary Bishop Ludger Schepers serving as its representative. Schepers emphasized that the church should build networks and implement everyday improvements, such as ensuring that church staff are sensitive to language and respectful of people’s concerns.
The archdiocese’s new network will be staffed by 17 pastoral carers, including Franziska Ilmberger, who works at the Munich University chaplaincy. Ilmberger emphasized the importance of standing up against injustice and discrimination, saying that the message of Jesus is opposed to such behavior.
The creation of the new network has been welcomed by some church employees, including Kevin Hellwig, a 29-year-old sacristan who is engaged to his same-sex partner. Hellwig said that the network provides hope for more change, but noted that the church still has a long way to go, with many right-wing extremists holding homophobic views.
Auxiliary Bishop Ludger Schepers believes that the grassroots level of the church is generally more advanced than the church establishment when it comes to queer life, and that every person is equal in terms of dignity, regardless of their sexual orientation. However, he concedes that more needs to be done, including a review of the church’s texts on moral theology and ethics.