Some 100 German priests are defying the rule of the Catholic church by blessing same-sex couples.

It can be learned that the Vatican doctrine strictly does not allow the blessing of same-sex unions in lieu of marriage, despite ministers doing so in countries including Germany.

A priest from the western city of Geldern was quoted as saying in a report by CNN: “If we say that God is love, I cannot tell people who embrace loyalty, unity, and responsibility to each other that theirs is not loved, that it’s a fifth-or sixth-class love.”

“I look forward to the blessing. We’re going have all forms of relationships: Classic heterosexual marriages, divorced and remarried couples, unmarried couples and yes, also same-sex couples,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, adding that we “[are] going to have the whole diversity of love.”

Based on the report, priests and dioceses all over Germany have joined the Liebe Gewinnt” or “Love Wins” initiative, with blessings taking place in cities such as Cologne, Berlin, and Munich, home to Germany’s largest archdiocese.

It can be learned that Pope Francis expressed his support for same-sex unions, sparking dissent within the church.

In 2013, he made the now-famous remark “Who am I to judge” about gay people seeking God and trying to live by the church’s rules and even supported raising children in the church to do so.

The church teaches that being gay is not sinful but forbids same-sex sexual activity.

“When someone says that something cannot be discussed anymore, I find that unreasonable and inappropriate,” said Olding, adding that the church had lost touch with its Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender+ (LGBT+) followers.

“I live in the center of society. I don’t want to be separated from the daily living reality of the people I accompany as a priest,” he noted.

Image by briannad26 from Pixabay