The president of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK), Bishop Heiner Wilmer, announced that he will bring to Rome the experiences gathered in meetings with different types of couples, including “same-sex couples” and divorced persons living in a second civil union, on the occasion of the upcoming meeting on Amoris laetitia.
According to the German media outlet Katholisch.de, Wilmer explained this Thursday, at the end of the autumn plenary assembly held in Fulda, that he had prepared for the Rome meeting by holding conversations with “very different couples.” Among them, he specifically mentioned same-sex couples and persons who, after a divorce, have entered into a second civil marriage. Their experiences, he noted, will be brought by him to Rome.
The reference came during the closing press conference of the German plenary, in which Wilmer reviewed some of the main issues addressed by the bishops during four days of meetings in Fulda.
Wilmer also referred to the growth in adult baptisms recorded in several European countries between 2019 and 2025. According to the data cited by the president of the DBK, France recorded an increase of 210%, Sweden 140%, Belgium 119%, and Germany 28%.
The Bishop of Hildesheim, however, rejected interpreting these figures as a reversal of the secularization process. “The significant increase does not mean a reversal of secularization,” he stated, and added that it must be considered in relation to the sharp decline in infant baptisms. He also maintained that this growth cannot be directly attributed to a new evangelization.
Wilmer acknowledged that the German Church is still in an initial phase in studying this phenomenon and noted that it will pose a challenge both for the dioceses and for the new episcopal commission on “Missionary Pastoral Care and Ecclesial Services.” He further argued that the goal should not be to quickly incorporate as many new members as possible, but to adequately accompany those who approach the Church from different personal, social, and cultural backgrounds.
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