a delegate to the Synod on the Family, which met in Rome in October 2015. In February 2015, discussing the issues facing the synod, he said the church needed a new approach to pastoral care of homosexuals, "a different language", and that to "portray homosexuality as a sin is hurtful". He added: "I know gay couples who value reliability and commitment and live these in an exemplary manner." As the Synod approached, he expressed concern that its focus was shifting from the pastoral concerns it was meant to address to "mega issues such as the understanding of the Eucharist, the issue of church authority and its limits and the question of the definition of marriage". He said "It would have been better to limit the number of topics up for discussion" and "We must not give the impression that the synod spent most of its time quarreling about the conditions for admission to the sacraments." At the synod, the German language discussion group elected him their relator (secretary). He told the Synod that theological arguments against allowing Catholics in irregular marriages to receive Communion "do not silence the questions in the hearts of people". He said: In February 2016, joining an alliance with the German Evangelical Church called the Alliance for Cosmopolitanism () Koch spoke on behalf of the German Bishops Conference: "Those who contribute words or deeds to the exclusion and reduction of refugees and migrants can not base that on Christianity. Human hostility and stranger hatred are not only in clear contradiction to the values of our free-democratic constitution, but ultimately bear witness to a deep disregard for the Christian message." He has at other times called for special attention to the needs of Christian refugees, who are sometimes mistreated as a minority among the refugee population, and for refugees who are homosexual or transgender. Koch, though an advocate for reconciliation between the Church and the LGBT community, denounced the German Bundestag's vote to legalize same-sex marriage on 30 June 2017. He said "As a Church, we respect same-sex partnerships in which mutual responsibility and care are taken" but he argued for maintaining a distinction between same-sex and different-sex relationships: "differentiation isn't discrimination, and same-sex cohabitation can be valued through other institutional arrangements without opening up the legal institute of marriage". Koch asked forgiveness for the church’s discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation. Homophobia was an