Church of God News

German Catholic churches to bless same-sex couples

9 May 2021

Catholic churches in the southern German state of Bavaria are set to hold services on Sunday to bless same-sex couples, local media reported.

The decision by the Church of St. Benedict in Munich, and three churches in Würzburg, comes in spite of Vatican teachings that the Catholic Church should not bless same-sex relationships. 

“It was not so easy to find a church,” said Renate Spannig, spokesperson for Maria 2.0, which is co-organizing the Munich service scheduled for 4:30 p.m. local time (1430 GMT/UTC).

Maria 2.0, a grass-roots reform initiative, has called for several similar services around Germany under the motto “love wins,” a week ahead of the International Day Against Homophobia.

Germany’s Catholic News Agency (KNA) reported that more than 100 services were organized for the first half of May to bless same-sex unions.

Other churches in Frankfurt, Cologne, Aachen and Berlin are expected to participate. https://www.dw.com/en/german-catholic-churches-to-bless-same-sex-couples/a-57474160

It is NOT “love” that is winning, but abominable practices, based on lust.

Homosexual acts are clearly prohibited in the Bible:

22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. (Leviticus 18:22)

13 If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. (Leviticus 20:13)

Those who try to claim that the Bible does not clearly condemn homosexuality are intentionally misreading what it actually teaches. The Bible prohibits and condemns homosexual behavior–the Bible calls it an abomination!

Notice that the New Testament teaches that those who engage in them, including lesbianism, are deserving of death:

24 … God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:24-32)

Notice that those who approve such things are deserving of death according to the Bible.

Blessing “same-sex marriages” is certainly an invention “of evil things” which is also in the list of condemnations above.

Consider also the following between king Balak and the pagan priest Balaam:

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!”

26 So Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?” (Numbers 23:25-26)

So, even though he did not have a Bible, Balaam understood he was not to bless contrary to the word of God.

Sadly, many Roman Catholic clerics and Protestant ministers do not accept that for themselves.

The fact that the LGBTQ crowd uses a multicolored ‘rainbow’ flag does NOT make them religious.

The LGBTQ community calls it a “pride” flag.

As far as “what comes after pride” this is the verse that the tract referred to, but from the NKJV:

18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)

Here are a few other scriptures using the term “pride”:

13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. (Proverbs 8:13)

12 When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom. (Proverbs 11:12)

24 A proud and haughty man–“Scoffer” is his name; He acts with arrogant pride. (Proverbs 21:24)

23 A man’s pride will bring him low, (Proverbs 29:23)

49 Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit. (Ezekiel 16:49-50)

56 For your sister Sodom was not a byword in your mouth in the days of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered. (Ezekiel 16:57-58)

37 And those who walk in pride He is able to put down. (Daniel 4:37)

3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, (Obadiah 1:3)

20 … What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man. (Mark 7:20-23)

The LGBTQ promoters should realize that these verses were in the Bible before they decided to adopt their promotion of the word “pride.”

Daniel 4:37 (quoted above) reminds me of ‘pride parades.’

Notice that Ezekiel 16 (quoted above) tied pride in with Sodom. Consider also the following:

9 The look on their countenance witnesses against them, And they declare their sin as Sodom; They do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves. (Isaiah 3:9)

The LGBTQ crowd declare their sins. The Bible says that “they have brought evil upon themselves.”

Now, if we look into Old Testament history, we see that God used rainbows as a sign/symbol thousands of years ago.

They (and others) should recall why God said He set rainbows in the sky in the Book of Genesis:

13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15 and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.” (Genesis 9:13-17)

God said He made rainbows to show that He would not destroy the earth by a worldwide flood again. But that does not mean He was to permit all types of sin without any intervention nor that claiming a rainbow makes something acceptable.

Many despise the moral teachings of the word of God–this will not end well:

40 Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:

41 ‘Behold, you despisers,
Marvel and perish!
For I work a work in your days,
A work which you will by no means believe,
Though one were to declare it to you.'” (Acts 13:40-41)

Despite opposition, a short work will be accomplished (Romans 9:28, Matthew 24:14); see also Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word).

As far as marriage goes, Jesus taught:

4 … “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:4-6)

Notice that God made humans male and female for marriage. The human body is “not for fornication” (1 Corinthians 6:13, KJV), nor for homosexual relations (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

No one should bless the abominable.

German clerics of the Roman Catholic Church should realize that.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

God Created Marriage Some falsely claim that God did not create marriage and that fornication is fine. What does the Bible really teach? Here is a version in Mandarin Chinese 神创造婚姻.
Making Your Marriage Work Marriage is not also easy, but it pictures a divine relationship. How can you make your marriage work? Here is a link to the video sermon: You Can Make YOUR Marriage Work.
Here’s the Plain Truth About OLD TESTAMENT POLYGAMY by Herbert Armstrong. Here is a related article in the Spanish language: ¿Es la poligamia una senda de Dios?
Love, Marriage, and Sex It is important to get them in the right order.
Husbands Love Your Wives An article written by the late Selmer Hegvold.
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality? Can homosexuals change? A related video sermon is titled What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?
Cross-dressing and other assaults against your children. What should you do? Is there an agenda to turn your children and/or grandchildren away from biblical morality and towards practices promoted by homosexuals? What does the Bible teach about cross-dressing? What should parents do? If there is an agenda, what has been going on? There is also a YouTube video on this, titled Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children.
Dating: A Key to Success in Marriage, a practical dating guide for Christians This is a scripture-filled dating guide. It discusses many aspects of dating, as well as who to not consider for marriage. Two related sermons are available: The Art of Christian Dating. and No One to Date? Teen Q&A? Engagement? 2nd Marriage? A short animation is also available: First Date: Worldly vs. Christian.
Pornography: A scourge on society Is pornography harmless fun? Does the Bible teach anything about it? What are the views of some involved with it? Here is a link to a YouTube video Pornography: Harmless Fun or a Scourge on Society?
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church. Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God? , Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, and What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, and Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy.