Lutheran Vicar Refuses to Bury Elderly Lesbian

[QAF_Rocks]

News from Denmark:

A Northern Jutland daughter was stunned but had to accept a decision by a Lutheran vicar in North Jutland, who refused to bury her 74-year-old mother because she had lived in a lesbian relationship.

“I thought – can this really be possible that we have to be ashamed? I looked at my mother’s partner and she was silent. I was upset for her. What a terrible situation to put her in,†Kirsten Østergaard told DR1.

The mother’s partner was 80 years old and the couple had lived in a registered partnership for some 20 years.

The Aalborg diocese vicar has since – following a family complaint to the diocesan dean - regretted his decision.

“I made an exceptional mistake. The biggest mistake I have ever made in my time as a vicar. It was a gaffe and short-circuit of dimensions and completely against what I believe in,†the vicar says.

His decision, he says, was made because as he did not want to marry homosexuals, he thought it was perhaps wrong to bury homosexual people.

“But it was a completely wrong conclusion. I have asked for forgiveness, initially from two of the family,†the vicar tells DR.

The apology, however, is not one that Kirsten Østergaard values much.

“What use is that to me? This is about his views about humanity, and I don’t think those have changed. He has probably regretted it, but not because of us – rather because he has put himself in a very bad light,†Østergaard tells DR.

http://politiken.dk/newsinenglish/ECE1626559/vicar-refused-homosexual-burial

I'd expect something like this from the Bible Belt, but Denmark? I thought the Scandinavian countries were more enlightened than that. :?

[NurseNell]

Wow, this surprises me. I think of Denmark as being very liberal and accepting. We have Lutheran churches here that are very accepting of the gay and lesbian community. One nearby church has a lesbian pastor. This story is very sad!

[Kishiria]

They are, but does that extend to the Lutheran church there? Probably not, from what I've heard of the Lutheran side of my husband's family.

[Conuly]

Fuck him. The daughter is absolutely right - he "regrets" his decision because he's found out it's not a popular one. Saying sorry doesn't mean he's not a bigot, it just means he's a bigot AND a sycophant.

[breadprincess]

I love Lutherans, and I still consider myself to be culturally Lutheran, but this is shameful and wrong. I am glad however that this hasn't been swept under the rug.

[Soldevi]

Lutherans in general are LGBT accepting in Finland so I was amazed as well to find out he was Danish. But then again...here in Finland where Lutheran church has monopoly with cemeteries there have been some cases where vicar has decided one-sidely that they will bury non-Lutherans only office time from monday to Friday. He justified it with explanation how in movietheater people with ticket are in different position than people without tickets...

We have very peculiar practice with cemeteries. They are mainly owned and tended by Lutheran church. Earlier church charged extra from non-members but later the law was changed and they have to bury everyone with same price. State and communities are very reluctant to establish their own cemeteries or give land to societies. From 1937 the Union of Freethinkers of Finland has tried to have their own cemetery in Helsinki. They still don't have permission or land. Even though we are a very secular nation in spirit, sometimes in administrative level we are very stiff.

Oh, did you notice this one? Denmark: Ex-minister equates gays with ‘killer snails’ to oppose equal marriage rights