<p class=paragraph><span style=background-color: transparent;>March 11 2023. DignityUSA the worlds oldest organization of Catholics working for justice equality and full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people in our church and society applauds the Catholic Bishops of Germany who have voted to support formal blessings for same-sex couples. In a vote of 38 to 9 with 11 abstentions the German bishops have affirmed creating ceremonies for couples whose marriages are not currently recognized by the Catholic Church. This includes same-sex couples as well as people who remarry following a divorce.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p class=paragraph>&nbsp;The German bishops have taken a bold and courageous step to affirm the sacredness of committed relationships between people of the same gender said Marianne Duddy-Burke Executive Director of DignityUSA. We know they understand that this pastoral response to the needs of Gods people &nbsp;signifies a break with church tradition and that in taking this step they risk enormous criticism possible sanctions and backlash from within and outside of our church. However they have also given hope that substantive affirming change is possible within our church to many especially LGBTQIA+ people and our families.&nbsp;</p><p class=paragraph><span style=background-color: transparent;>We also know that the German bishops represent the first group within the institutional Catholic church to support what many Catholics have already chosen to do. Catholics all over the world have created rituals many modeled on Catholic liturgy in which the commitment of same-sex couples or couples with one or more transgender partner are blessed and celebrated. In the absence of church leadership LGBTQIA+ people have developed rich and diverse rituals that affirm their love and commitment said Duddy-Burke.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p class=paragraph>&nbsp;We in DignityUSA look forward to seeing what the German Catholic bishops and the faithful involved in the process develop. We know their work will inevitably spread well beyond Germany. There is a tremendous yearning for Catholic ritual among LGBTQIA+ Catholics and many will adapt this ritual to their own cultures with great joy concluded Duddy-Burke.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>