Can the Church Change on LGBTQ+ Issues? Why Should It?

Jürgen Werbick

Should the Church fear change?

That’s the headline for an interview with German theologian Jürgen Werbick, published by Kath.ch, the news website of Switzerland’s Catholic Bishops’ Conference.  The Church’s fear of change is a condition which has perplexed Catholics who support LGBTQ+ equality, who have been vigorously calling for change for at least over five decades, and Werbick’s analysis is particularly relevant to the issue.

Werbick is Professor Emeritus of Fundamental Theology at the University of Münster. His latest book is entitled “Kneeling Before the Spirit of the Age? How Christianity Is Changing.”  Change is not a danger to the Church, Werbick observes. Fear of change is what is dangerous.

Werbick’s assertion, though, is nuanced. He explains that “Fear is a danger signal. And therefore, it is not inherently bad.” But fear becomes a problem “When it leads to suppressing dangers, covering up problems, or not perceiving them accurately enough,” he states.

While opponents to change in the church often assert that the church should not change because of the spirit of the times, Werbick acknowledges that faith has always been affected by the spirit of the times, and that as times change, the church’s understanding of faith has changed, too.  He stated:

“We first need to take a closer look at where and how the Christian faith is changing. For centuries, this seemed completely impossible within the Church. Essentially, the prevailing view was: the faith always remains the same. And the Church strictly ensures that nothing changes and that nothing is lost from the body of faith. This view is illusory.”

He offers these historical examples:

“The Christian tradition has repeatedly been ‘inculturated,’ that is, articulated in the spirit of its respective era: in the spirit of ancient Hellenism, which introduced to Christianity the central concepts of doctrine that seem alien to today’s understanding of faith. Another example is the spirit of early medieval feudalism, which programmed the understanding of salvation according to very contemporary notions of vicarious retribution. Or, indeed, the spirit of the Restoration, which led the Catholic Church in the 19th century to once again seek salvation in an absolutist church monarchy.”

Theologians and biblical scholars must play a role in this process of change, Werbick notes. Not everything in the spirit of the times is going to be consonant with our understandings of faith.  He offers the example of right-wing political movements around the globe.  Right at the outset of the interview he states:

“I myself am also afraid of the spirit of the times. Of the spirit of the times, of authoritarian and anti-democratic ideologies of self-assertion and isolation. This negative spirit of the times is also evident in the Catholic Church, not only in the USA or Poland.”

And he elaborates on what can help to oppose extremism:

“We have to be wary of this ‘right-wing’ zeitgeist. Of course, there’s also fear within the Catholic Church of the ‘left-wing,’ the liberal zeitgeist. And this fear is certainly a symptom of a deep sense of insecurity. People ask themselves: What remains of faith if we actually embrace the modern view of the world, nature, humanity, life, guilt, and love—or what many consider to be such views? What remains of the word of God in the Bible when we read it historically and critically, as a human testimony from the distant past? Theology, with its scholarly work and its distinctions, seeks to address this uncertainty. It is not as weak and complacent as many—including Pope Benedict XVI—accused it of being. If she is aware of her scientific profile, she will be perceived as a strong interlocutor in the discourses of our time.

In answer to the question “what needs to change?” Werbick answered:

“Language, concepts, and theological systems are allowed to change. But so too are ethical convictions and religious lifestyles, if the core of Christianity is no longer visible and tangible within them. Faith wants to be lived from its core and not so much defended against its “outer walls”; although that, too, may occur and be necessary.”

And in answer to the question “What needs to change in the Catholic Church for it to remain vibrant? Werbick answered:

“Everything that prevents them from living and bearing witness to God’s love for humanity in the footsteps of Christ. Therefore, all structures that have facilitated and continue to facilitate abuse must change. The Church must take itself seriously as a servant of faith, hope, and love, in which God, through his Spirit, wants to touch people and win them for life with him. That is the core of its being. Everything else exists for the sake of this core and can and perhaps must change—if it hinders the Church’s ministry.”

Following on Werbick’s theory, calling for change in the church on LGBTQ+ issues needs to be framed not just in terms of modernization, but in terms of appealing to the core messages of Christian faith.  It’s not that the church needs to look forward, but needs to look inward at what is essential to its messsage of God’s love for humanity.

That was the message of New Ways Ministry’s 2021 theological statement, A Home for All: A Catholic Call for LGBTQ+ Non-Discrimination. This statement, endorsed by more than 750 Catholic theologians, pointed to the fact that what is the Church’s core belief that should direct its approach to LGBTQ+ issues is Catholic social teaching, not Catholic sexual ethics, as has been traditionally held.

In a response to Werbick’s interview, Catholic journalist Tobias Glenz laments the fact that in his home country of Germany, the Catholic Church continues to lose members because of its refusal to change. Glenz cites the issues of women’s roles in the church and mandatory celibacy for priests as two of the issues.  A third one was LGBTQ+ issues, of which he said:

“And why do sexual and gender minorities still feel marginalized in the Church? They don’t want small concessions like ‘You’re not so bad after all,’ but rather to be fully accepted. There would be little standing in the way of that.

“The list could go on. The Church certainly doesn’t lack opportunities to become more attractive to people again. The only thing is: it has to want to. This has nothing to do with ‘pandering to the spirit of the age,’ as some might argue. Rather, it’s about acknowledging reality – and drawing the right conclusions from it.”

Acknowledging reality. Yes. In two directions: 1) the reality of LGBTQ+ lives, experiences, and faith; 2) the reality that at the core of the Church’s message is the simple but great commandment: “Love one another.”

—Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry, March 23, 2026

Further reading:

For copies of a 24-page booklet A Home for All: A Catholic Call for LGBTQ+ Non-Discrimination, which examines the importance of the church’s social justice tradition over the sexual ethics traditiion, click on the title.  The book contains testimonies from Church leaders, including cardinals and bishops, as well as questions for discussion.  It’s ideal for parish education groups!