Cardinal Marx puts forward his ideas for a cosmopolitan church in Stern interview
In an interview with Stern, Cardinal Marx once again emphasized how important it is not to regard homosexuality as a sin. Rather, it is possible to stand for one another regardless of gender... And it is compatible with Christian teachings.
That the cardinal expresses himself in such a modern and tolerant way is not new. Only recently, he was criticized by many for holding a queer service in the Bavarian capital. He now explained to Stern, among other things, what the future of the church might look like in dealing with queer people. His ambitions: Very welcome, but nevertheless also ambitious. Headwind is likely to be pre-programmed, especially from the conservative side.
Cardinal Marx does not see homosexuality as a sin
Cardinal Marx's opinion on the subject is clear. If two people were to stand up for each other "in joy and in sorrow," this would be in keeping with the Christian attitude. A statement that makes him seem particularly sympathetic and also human to many people at this point is the fact that he explains that he certainly would not have thought it possible himself to celebrate a queer service a few years ago. With his decision, the cardinal went against many other church representatives who held to the teachings and accordingly defined love as something that may only take place between a man and a woman.
Marx, however, went one step further. Not only did he celebrate the service, but he declared that in his eyes it is a sin to want to push people who love the same sex out of the faith community. One important insight he emphasized in this context was that it was perfectly okay to doubt the catechism as well. After all, it is not set in stone.
He goes on to explain that things also need to change in terms of the guidelines that apply to people who work in the Catholic Church. For example, it is not okay to be dismissed because of one's sexual orientation. And further: It is also quite conceivable that the Catholic Church would also agree to employ married priests. After all, this is also possible in other religious communities.
Does Cardinal Marx want to reform the church? Obviously... At least a little
There is no question: There are few people who are in such an elevated position within the Catholic Church and who express themselves so openly to the community. However, Cardinal Marx proved in his Stern interview that it is obviously not impossible to rethink precisely with regard to a possible modernization of the church as an institution. In this context, however, he once again emphasized that, among other things, the abuse scandals could not be explained exclusively by the fact that priests were not allowed to marry.
A problem, however, is that some have the interest to protect the reputation of the church... And that before consideration is given to the victims. His demand: a more transparent church and a better distribution of power. People should have the opportunity to help shape the institution. Ultimately, for these goals to be achieved, hierarchies would also have to be dismantled.
Admittedly: The probability that the Catholic Church will suddenly make a 180° turn due to particularly progressive-thinking people, such as Cardinal Marx, is very low. Nevertheless, it is precisely these voices that show that there are indeed church representatives who take the view that faith and queerness are not mutually exclusive. Well - thank God.
Heard already? The bishop is supposed to be friendly to homo!