German Catholic Bishop: The Bible has "no eternal truths" on homosexuality

Kohlgraf: The Bible has "no eternal truths" on homosexuality

Scientific findings must be taken into account

Kohlgraf: The Bible has "no eternal truths" on homosexuality

The Bishop of Mainz opposes the unquestioning inference of "eternal truths" from Bible passages on homosexuality. Current findings from the humanities must also be taken into account

The Bishop of Mainz, Peter Kohlgraf, warns against viewing Bible passages on homosexuality as "timelessly valid" guidelines. One must always understand the passages from the Holy Scriptures on homosexuality in their contemporary context, Kohlgraf said in a Sunday morning broadcast by Südwestrundfunk (SWR).

The bishop emphasized: "I don't take a single sentence from the Bible and say: This is the sentence that applies unquestioningly to everyone." One cannot "simply derive timelessly valid, eternal truths" from biblical passages on homosexuality. Rather, contemporary findings from the humanities must always be taken into account. He treats biblical texts differently "than simply using them as a quarry." Scientifically based theology is "considerably more advanced today."

Kohlgraf continued: "There are openly homosexual priests in Germany, and they are good pastors." He emphasized that today, the Catholic Church in Germany can speak very openly about the topic of homosexuality. Kohlgraf (58) has been Bishop of Mainz since 2017. He spoke at the SWR Democracy Forum at Hambach Castle on the topic of "Taboos in our society – between morality, power, and the media." Other guests at the panel, moderated by publicist Michel Friedman, included filmmaker Mo Asumang and journalist Ronen Steinke.

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