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Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising, at a press conference on the report on sexual violence against children and young people in the Catholic Archdiocese of Munich and Freising (archive photo)
Photo: Sven Hoppe / picture alliance / dpa / dpa pool
Catholic Cardinal Reinhard Marx has apologized for the way his church has treated queer people in the past.
"It's a tale of woe for many people," said the archbishop of Munich and Freising at a service marking the 20th anniversary of the queer community in Munich's St. Paul church.
The church made life difficult for many lesbian and gay people.
He demanded "that one has to see what injuries we have caused".
"Sorry," he said, referring to an interview he gave on the subject in Ireland a few years ago.
Non-heterosexual people or people who do not identify with the traditional role model of men and women or other social norms relating to gender and sexuality describe themselves as queer.
Catholic reform movement sees “signs of a turnaround”
All relationships that follow the "primacy of love" could "be accepted by God," Marx emphasized.
"And we think we could conduct and determine exactly" who is allowed to say to whom: "I love you." He would like "an inclusive church, a church that includes".
"I couldn't have imagined being here with you 20 years ago, maybe even 15 years ago," said Marx.
He's happy that things have changed, "that we're not standing still".
The Catholic reform movement "We are Church" sees in the service with Marx the "sign of a turn to rainbow pastoral" and a "new, more open attitude towards homosexuality and LGBTIQ", said "We are Church" spokesman Christian Weisner.
LSBTIQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people.
Not even a year ago, an outcry went through the Catholic Church in Germany.
The Vatican's categorical no to the blessing of homosexual couples brought many Catholics in this country to the barricades - and even ordained Catholic priests openly and clearly resisted the dictates from Rome in May 2021.
As part of the "Love wins" campaign, there were blessing celebrations for homosexual couples all over Germany.
tfb/dpa