▁sharp ▁strict ures ▁of ▁Script ure ▁on ▁hom osex ual ▁practices ▁( Gen . ▁ 1 ; ▁Rom . ▁ 1 ) ▁must ▁be ▁read ▁in ▁their ▁context ." ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁German ▁bishop ▁Franz - Jose f ▁B ode ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁Dioc ese ▁of ▁Os nab r ück ▁argued ▁in ▁an ▁interview ▁that ▁bless ing ▁of ▁same - sex ▁un ions ▁in ▁Catholic ▁churches ▁in ▁Germany ▁should ▁be ▁considered . ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Card inal ▁Rein hard ▁Marx , ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁B ish ops ' ▁Conference ▁agreed ▁that ▁such ▁bless ings ▁should ▁be ▁looked ▁at ▁at ▁the ▁local ▁level ▁on ▁a ▁case ▁by ▁case ▁basis . ▁In ▁Austria , ▁the ▁bless ing ▁of ▁same - sex ▁un ions ▁has ▁been ▁offered ▁in ▁at ▁least ▁two ▁par ishes ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁Dioc ese ▁of ▁Lin z . ▁ ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁ ▁Richard ▁Sc orer ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁Church ▁has ▁been ▁" not ably ▁less ▁hom oph ob ic ▁than ▁the ▁V at ican ", ▁and ▁that , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁on ▁publication ▁of ▁a ▁statement ▁by ▁Card inal ▁R atz inger , ▁which ▁Sc orer ▁said ▁just ified ▁disc rim ination ▁against ▁hom osex uals , ▁Card inal ▁Bas il ▁H ume ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁" app alled ▁by ▁the ▁language ▁and ▁tone ▁of ▁the ▁document " ▁and ▁priv ately ▁dist anced ▁himself . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁