Queer Bible Is Stolen From Catholic Parish But Lives on In Digital Form

A theft from a Catholic parish in Switzerland has brought to light a wonderful and unusual resource which was housed there.

An annotated version of the Bible known as “the Queer Bible” was taken from St. Peter’s Chapel of the Catholic Church of the City of Lucerne, the second time a theft of this resource has occurred, reported Katholisch.de. The Queer Bible is an old Zurich Bible, however, inserted into the pages on thin pieces of paper are queer interpretations of particular passages. For example, the insert for Romans 1: 18-32, a passage often used to condemn same-gendeer relationships, the queer response is written in the form of a letter through time to St. Paul, the author of Romans. It reads, in part:

“I . . . understand that you are concerned about the healing of the people of your time because of the unruly behavior you observe. That people can have healing experiences is also very important to me.And I regret to tell you that the beginning of your letter has led many people to derive from it the justification to judge other people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. Excuse me for using terms you cannot possibly know.”

Many other passages in the biblical text contains 20 such responses from queer Catholics, covering a wide range of both affirmative and negative passages.

Though the Queer Bible was stolen, it is not totally lost, as the queer interpretative passages are archived online. You can read them by visiting the website of the Allianz Gleichwürdig Katholisch (Equally Worthy Catholic Alliance), the group which initiated and continues to expand this project.

The Catholic chapel which housed the physical copy of the Queer Bible issued a statement which said, in part:

“The Catholic Church of the City of Lucerne regrets and unequivocally condemns this incident. We stand for a church that traditionally advocates for all people, acts as a unifying force and acts in solidarity – regardless of origin, faith, religion, or sexual orientation. Our mission is to create spaces where dialogue, diversity, and respect are practiced. We will not allow this act to deprive us of this conviction.”

The statement also noted that the theft was but the latest example of anti-LGBTQ+ activities that have plagued central Switzerland during their autumn Pride season.

The parish condemned the theft of the book, and used this declaration to reaffirm their commitment to inclusivity and diversity:

“We stand for a church that traditionally supports all people, acts as a uniter and shows solidarity – regardless of origin, faith, religion, or sexual orientation. We will not allow this act to deprive us of this conviction.”

In explaining the purpose of creating the Queer Bible, the Catholic parish statement added:

“. . . [I]t is not only intended for queer people; it invites everyone to rediscover the biblical texts. . . . For a long time, the Bible has been used as an argument to discredit queer life—people and lifestyles that do not conform to the norm. Yet there are many stories in the Bible that can be interpreted in relation to queer identity. For example, in the [Genesis] story of Joseph. There, a man is described wearing a dress usually attributed to princesses. Theological research largely concludes that the Bible is not anti-queer. Instead, it addresses abuse of power, assault, or openness towards minorities.”

So sad that such a helpful reource was stolen from the church, but how wonderful that such an important resource exists! How more wonderful that it was created by a Catholic organization and housed by a Catholic parish!

New Ways Ministry also provides two online resources for examining scriptures through an LGBTQ+ lens:

“Journeys,” our scripture reflection series for LGBTQ+ people and allies. The resource is a series of over 40 reflection exercises on various Scripture passages. The exercises can be used for individual or group use, and they contain special groups of passages that have Advent or Lenten themes. Many people have used this resource for journaling, and many parishes and campus ministries have used these exercises for their LGBTQ+ ministry activities.
A library of scripture reflections based on every Sunday’s liturgical readings. Each text is written by an LGBTQ+ person or ally, finding positive messages for LGBTQ+ people and allies in the scripture passages that are proclaimed at Mass every Sunday and many other feast days and holidays. These reflections are not only useful for individual or group reflection, but they can also help homilists develop sermons which have affirmative dimensions for LGBTQ+ people. New Ways Ministry has been publishing these reflections since 2020, so they are representative of the complete A, B, and C cycles of the lectionary.

—Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry, October 29, 2025