Germany's Catholic Church controversially changes labor laws

German Catholics are said by some to be adapting to modern lifestyles.Others see it as open dissent

The Roman Catholic Church in Germany has changed its approach to enforcing morality clauses. Some claim this is a significant step for LGBTs and remarried Catholics. Others see it as open dissent.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - With two-thirds of the 27 German dioceses in favor of changing the enforcement of the morality clause in its employment policies, the automatic dismissal of employees due to sexual orientation - or remarriage after getting divorced - will no longer be enforced in many of the German Church institutions.

A church spokesman has confirmed the news. However, the Church emphasized that Germany's Catholic Church will not and cannot change Catholic teaching on the illicit and immoral nature of sexual activity outside of marriage, and its absolute rejection of what is called same-sex marriage. .

"The new rule opens the way for decisions that do justice to the situations people live in," said Alois Glueck, a lay Catholic leader said in a statement to Reuters. It was reported in the National Catholic Register that violations of the morality clause were often overlooked by the officials of the church.

The Huffington Post opined that by changing this policy, German Catholics are somehow adapting to modern lifestyles. Of course, that is to be expected from a publication which rejects classical Christian teaching on the nature of marriage as solely between one man and one woman, open to life, intended for life and formative of family.

Although there may still be exceptional cases, where employees advocating against the churches teachings will be dismissed from their job at the institution, this official change is a significant change.

Some German Church leaders and theologians are proposing the church should welcome people with different sexual orientations and the divorced and remarried Catholics to communion. This is a major shift from Church practice and not accepted among church leaders in the United States and the rest of the world.

Recently, San Francisco's Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone was criticized by some for enforcing  the morality clause on teachers' contracts in Catholic schools. He was also affirmed as a hero by many Catholics and other Christians, for his fidelity to the truth about marriage and family.

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