Association of Dioceses decides that sexual orientation should not be a criterion for hiring or firing employees. Until then, maintaining a civil partnership with a person of the same sex could justify dismissal. The Catholic Church in Germany will reform its regulations on personnel recruitment and management and strengthen the rights of LGBT employees.
The general assembly of the Association of Dioceses in Germany (VDD) has decided that anyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, lifestyle, gender, physical disabilities, age and origin, can be a church employee.
Until now, an employee of the German Catholic Church who was in a same-sex civil union or remarried after a divorce could be subject to dismissal. Based on the new agreement, the private life of employees should not be grounds for dismissal.
The only condition for being a church employee is having a positive attitude and an identity with its goals and values. Engaging in anticlerical activity remains a criterion for dismissal.
The modification of the Church’s work rules had been under discussion for months and was announced by the German Bishops’ Conference (Dbk) in Bonn. The change consists of a recommendation to the dioceses, which must implement it locally, and affects about 800,000 employees of the Catholic Church and the Caritas organization.
In January, LGBT employees of the Catholic Church in Germany staged a protest against discrimination in labor laws and delivered a manifesto with more than 117,000 signatures to the German bishops’ conference.
According to the new regulations, affiliation to the Catholic Church will be a criterion for hiring only if necessary for the respective position, such as in pastoral and catechetical activities or institutional representation of the church.
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Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
