Another bishop has thwarted the Vatican’s decision to deny blessings to homosexuals. This time Dom Franz-Joseph Overbeck was the head of the diocese of Essen in Germany.

In a letter to all the parishes in the diocese, he said that the Catholic Church’s doctrine “urgently needs a broader view of human sexuality.”

Overbeck called on all Catholics not to succumb to “the temptations of fundamentalist secularism” and to accept the doctrine of the faith, saying “homosexuals provoke and hurt.”

“The assessment of homosexuality on the basis of natural law is no longer understood or accepted, and many public signs coming from parishes and, above all, pastoral agents, publicly reject this position. [do Vaticano] It can no longer be ignored, the text says.

According to the German bishop, “homosexual Christians should be part of our church because they are part of it, just as they are baptized.”

“Blessing is a sign of following, and the church must show that God is in this relationship,” he said.

The doctrine, written by the Church for the doctrine of the faith and endorsed by Pope Francis, argues that blessing is a ritual act, so it cannot be allowed to conform to “the creations of God.”

The sentence drew criticism from Bishop Monsignor Johan Bonnie of Antwerp, musician Elton John and F1 driver Louis Hamilton.