German bishops face new division over ‘sex identity’ guidelines for schools

(OSV News) — Authors of new German church guidelines for sexual identity classes at Catholic schools have declined to defend their text, after several bishops said it violated Catholic teaching and had been circulated without their consent.
“Created, Redeemed and Loved,” compiled by the German church’s Education Commission conference to address controversial “issues of sexual orientation and gender identity,” was published on Oct. 30 by the bishops’ conference, which said the brochure offered pedagogical and pastoral care for “queer individuals,” including pupils, teachers and parents.
“Successfully addressing issues of sexual orientation and gender identity, and not least the needs of queer individuals, is a challenge that many schools, including Catholic schools, have faced in recent years,” the bishops’ conference website said.
However, in a new sign of division in the German church, the 48-page document was bitterly criticized by Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau, who accused its …