Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine expressed their position on the initiative to bless homosexual partnerships

This is reported by the Catholic Media Center.

We bring to your notice the entire statement:

"Recently, Ukrainian and foreign media published information that some bishops of Germany (Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich, Bishop Peter Kolgraf of Mainz, Bishop Essen Ludger Scheepers, Bishop Franz-Josef Bode of Osnabrück, and Bishop Heinrich Timmerervers of Dresden officially supported the blessing of homosexual partnerships, and also began publishing a corresponding book, which will include the corresponding rite of blessing called "Paare. Riten. Kirche "("Spouses. Rituals. Church").

This news has caused sadness, pain and confusion for many faithful Catholics and Christians of other faiths, in particular, those Christians who, despite personal difficulties in this area, are trying to faithfully follow the teachings of the Church. How should we respond to such messages? What can we do to ensure that the Church continues to be "light and salt"? What should Catholics and all Christians keep in mind in the face of such news? How can you not get fat and remain a faithful son and daughter of the Church in the future? We would like to draw your attention to the following:

Deposit of faith

1. When faced with such messages, Catholics should zealously adhere to the treasure of faith that the church received from the Apostles and which it carefully protects. Such views are not the official teaching of the Church, of the Peter of our time – Pope Francis and cannot be, because they directly contradict the revelation expressed in the Holy Scriptures and the tradition of the Church.

2. The Catholic doctrine on the phenomenon of homosexuality is clearly expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the declaration of Persona Humana and other official documents. According to Christian teaching, homosexual acts are sinful, and therefore deprive a person of sanctifying grace.

3. A clear position on homosexual relations is expressed in the congregation's document on the affairs of the Teaching of Faith comments on projects to legalize relations between homosexuals (2003), signed by Pope St. John Paul II and then Prefect Joseph Ratzinger. In the final word of this document, we read the following: "the Church teaches that respect for homosexuals cannot, in any case, lead to the approval of homosexual posture or to the legalization of homosexual relations. The common good requires that laws recognize, support, and protect marriage as the foundation of the family, the primary cell of society."

4. Following the example of the Lord Jesus, Christians should condemn sin, but they should have an open heart for the sinner. Persons who are struggling with homosexual tendencies are given respect and help: spiritual, pastoral, if necessary, also psychological (Congregation for the affairs of Catholic education, educational instructions in relation to human love).

Prayer

In the last days, we should especially recall the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians: "for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principles, and the authorities, and against the world rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spirits of malice in the Middle Kingdom" (Eph 6). The spiritual struggle continues, the price of which is the sanctity of Christian families! Therefore, we encourage you to pray for the Church in Germany and for its hierarchs, who are under strong ideological pressure, to overcome difficulties with courage and uncompromisingly cherish the treasure of the faith."

Lviv, February 26, 2021
n. 10/2021

Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki
Acting Chairman of the Conference of Bishops of the
Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine