German Bishop Opposes Using the Bible to Condemn Homosexuality

The Bishop of Mainz, Germany, has spoken out against using Biblical passages as a reason to oppose homosexuality.

Bishop Peter Kohlgraf made his statements during an interview on the television show “SWR Democracy Forum in Hambach Castle,” broadcast by Südwestrundfunk (SWR), a TV channel in western Germany, reported Katholisch.de. 

Bishop Peter Kohlgraf

Kohlgraf said that one “cannot simply derive timelessly valid, eternal truths” in Biblical passages about homosexuality. The topic of the show was “Taboos in our society – between morality, power, and the media.”

“I don’t take a single sentence from the Bible and say: This is the sentence that applies unquestioningly to everyone,” the bishop continued. “Rather, contemporary findings from the humanities must always be taken into account.”

[Editor’s note: The most commonly cited passages supposedly condemning lesbian and gay people are Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Genesis 19; Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10; 1 Timothy 1:8–11. Contemporary scholarly consensus rejects the idea that these passages refer to lesbian and gay reality recognized since the mid-20th century.]

Bishop Kohlgraf said he treats biblical texts in a different way “than simply using them as a quarry.” He also said that scientifically-based theology is “considerably more advanced” today.

The bishop’s statements are significant because they do not agree with the Vatican’s 1986 document on homosexuality which contends that there is: “a clear consistency within the Scriptures themselves on the moral issue of homosexual behaviour. The Church’s doctrine regarding this issue is thus based, not on isolated phrases for facile theological argument, but on the solid foundation of a constant Biblical testimony.”

During the show, the bishop also affirmed the presence of gay men in the priesthood: “There are openly homosexual priests in Germany, and they are good pastors.”

Bishop Kohlgraf has a long and remarkably positive record on LGBTQ+ issues.  You can learn more about his previous statements  by viewing past Bondings 2.0 posts by clicking here.

Professor Ilse Müllner

The theological literature critiquing the idea that the Bible opposes homosexuality is vast and from varied methodologies.  One good summary of some of the arguments can be found in a 2018 Katholisch.de interview with Ilse Müllner, Professor of Biblical Theology at the Institute for Catholic Theology at the University of Kassel, Germany. Müllner states:

“. . .[T]he Bible does not at all provide any insight into how Christians should position themselves today with regard to the issue of homosexuality. Firstly, because the Bible says nothing about homosexuality as we understand it today. And secondly, because the sexual acts described in it must always be viewed in their respective cultural and socio-historical context. The concept of a homosexual partnership did not yet exist back then. It has only been spoken of since the beginning of the 19th century.”

The theologian offers the example of how interpretations of Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:26-27 which condemn homosexuality are wrong:

“You can’t use these passages against homosexuality as it is understood today, because they are not about a long-term love relationship between people of the same sex. You have to know that before using such quotations for argumentation. Leviticus rejects the idea of ​​a man lying with another man as if he were with a woman. This describes anal sex between men. But this is not about a homosexual relationship. It is about a sexual act that is condemned because it is not considered beneficial to the community. This becomes clear from the context, where, among other things, sexual intercourse with a menstruating, i.e., infertile, woman is also rejected. Narrative literature often refers to Genesis 19. Here, guests who come to the city of Sodom – hence the term sodomy – are to be humiliated through sexual intercourse. Again, this is not about homosexual relationships. Instead, men are to be raped by a group of other men. It is therefore about xenophobic violence. This Bible passage clearly illustrates the connection between sexuality and power. We must address this connection, especially in light of the abuse scandal.”

To read all of her interview, click here. 

–Elsie Carson-Holt and Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry, September 13, 2025