Berlin’s cardinal and same-sex couples
Irapuato 07/06/2012 00:10:36
Andrea Tornielli
Rome
Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki, the youngest of the current members of the Sacred College of Cardinals, is at the centre of a controversy over a statement he made on homosexuality.
Fifty five year old Woelki, a bishop since 2003 and archbishop since 2011 was created cardinal by Benedict XVI at the last consistory held in February 2011. In a recent speech at the Katholikentag convention held between 17 and 20 May in Mannheim, he stated:
“I believe we should agree and indeed we do agree on the fact that in judging this type of relation or relationship there is a big difference in judgement when people take responsibility for one another, when engaged in a long-term relationship as couples do in heterosexual relationships.”
These words suggested the cardinal was opening up to stable same-sex relationships. But the Archbishop of Berlin’s spokesman stated that Woelki’s declaration was allegedly too “concise” and explained that the cardinal had not intended to put same-sex unions on a par with marriage.
Readers will recall that the issue recently resurfaced in Austria, when a young man living in a registered partnership with another male was elected to the pastoral council of a small village near Vienna.
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/homepage/world-news/detail/articolo/berlino-berlin-woelki-15776/











