A large rainbow flag hangs in front of the Church of St. Theodore in Cologne, Germany, March 29, 2021. According to a survey released on Aug. 6, 2025, fewer than half of Germany's 27 Catholic dioceses have fully adopted guidelines for same-sex blessing issued in April, with some objecting that the guidelines far exceeded current church rules. (OSV News photo/Harald Oppitz, KNA) Church blessings for queer and remarried couples: in the Catholic diocese of Aachen, this will be officially possible in future. There had recently been discussions about the corresponding guidelines. The diocese of Aachen is now offering blessings for couples regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status. Bishop Helmut Dieser explained the handout of…
