Alleged Polygamous Wedding? Berlin Church Disassociates Itself - German church denies blessing polygamous union after controversial ceremony
A controversy has arisen in Germany over an alleged polygamous marriage ceremony. The Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia (EKBO) has clarified its stance on the matter, stating that it only blesses marriages between two individuals.
In 2023, a ceremony involving four men took place in Wiesbaden, Germany, reportedly presided over by Pastor Johannes H. However, the EKBO has confirmed that this event was not a church marriage or wedding. Instead, it was a blessing ceremony presented as a wedding, which the church does not condone.
The pastor could not record the ceremony in the church register as there was no prior legal civil marriage between the four men. The Protestant Church in Berlin has since distanced itself from this ceremony.
Bishop Christian Stäblein has dismissed allegations of polygamy in this context as baseless. Provost Christina-Maria Bammel has reiterated that Protestant weddings bless the marriage of two loving people, in line with German law which limits civil marriages to two individuals.
The EKBO has made its position clear: it only blesses marriages between two people who have already been legally married. The church does not support or recognize polygamous unions. The alleged ceremony in Wiesbaden does not reflect the church's official stance on marriage.
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