Cardinal Marx says anti-gay discrimination, not same-sex marriage, is defeat for Church

He understands the fears of some conservative Catholics that same-sex marriage could open the floodgates for marriages "á trois" or for incest. But he says such fears are baseless.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising (L) speaks at a press conference held by German bishops at the Teutonic College, Oct. 5, 2015. (Photo: Bohumil Petrik/CNA)

Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich has distanced himself from the apocalyptic scenarios some Catholics have voiced over Germany's new same-sex marriage law, saying the Church should be more concerned over its historic complicity in demonizing gay people.

Marx, who is head of the German bishops' conference and one of Pope Francis' chief advisors and allies, stated clearly that he firmly upholds the Church's view on marriage. But in a lengthy interview published on July 14th, he said the Church must also express its regret that it did nothing historically to oppose the prosecution of homosexuals.

He told the Augsburger Allgemeine that Church must continue to state its teaching that marriage is a lifelong bond between a man and a woman. But at the same, he said it's also imperative "to recall that the Church has not exactly been a trailblazer as far as the rights of homosexuals are concerned".

"We must express our regret that we did nothing to oppose homosexuals from being prosecuted," said the 63-year-old Marx.

"The law (which made homosexuality a crime) was not rescinded until 1994 (in Germany) and we, as a Church, did not concern ourselves with it," he confessed.

The cardinal said he did not see the June 30th vote in the Bundestag that legalized same-sex marriage in Germany as a defeat for the Church because the concept of marriage and the family was not just a church matter.

"The Christian position is one thing. It's another thing to ask if I can make all the Christian moral concepts (state) laws," he said.

"Whoever fails to understand that the one does not automatically lead to the other, has not understood the essence of modern society," he argued.

Cardinal Marx said he understands the fears of some conservative Catholics that same-sex marriage could open the floodgates for marriages "á trois" or for incest. But he said such fears are baseless.

"The new law is concerned with allowing same-sex partners – and not close relations or three or more people – to marry," he said.

"One shouldn't immediately conjure up the bursting of a dam," he added.

The cardinal said he fully supports the Governor of Bavaria's plans to appeal to the Supreme Court regarding the same sex marriage law.

"I would very much welcome an appeal as I'd like to know what the Supreme Court thinks about marriage for everyone. I don't know what the Court would or will say, but a Supreme Court verdict would be good for legal peace in Germany," Marx said.

The interviewer noted that some members of the Christian Social Union (CSU), as well as some in Chancellor Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), had expressed fears that their parties were no longer Christian. Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg even lamented that Catholics were becoming "homeless" as far as politics were concerned, the interviewer pointed out.

In response, Cardinal Marx said none of the German parties represented or wanted to implement all the Church's positions politically.

"That would not be possible or indeed desirable in a secular state," he underlined.

At that point, the interviewer insisted that the Church had lost influence.

"Once again, we don't simply want to mold our opinions into laws and thereby measure the Church's influence," Marx replied.

"We live in an open society in which there are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and non-believers. In a secular society, the state must make laws that are valid for everyone.

"Surely Christian influence doesn't show itself only in laws, but in the everyday values that are lived in society. It is not merely a case of our influence but of those concerns, the Gospels oblige us as Christians to carry out... We don't only lobby for the Church!" the cardinal insisted.

Marx also responded to a question about Cardinal Gerhard Müller's dismissal as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), saying he had not known about it beforehand.

But he insinuated that he was not surprised.

"No-one could help noticing that certain statements or opinions Cardinal Müller made or expressed in recent years were difficult to reconcile with the pope's opinions," Marx said.

He said it was "perfectly legitimate" for the pope to personally choose his closest Vatican collaborators and noted that it is a general rule that members of the Roman Curia are appointed for five years.

He also said the CDF could use an increase in staff to help deal more quickly and efficiently with priest sexual abuse cases. But he emphasized that the main work of handling abuse had to be done in the local dioceses.

Originally published on 17 July 2017





