Priest in Taunus leaves parish after 37 years to marry longtime partner
After 37 years in the parish, the priest says he will marry the woman who has been his long-time partner.
A German Catholic priest announced he will leave his parish after 37 years of ministry so he can marry a woman with whom he says he has had a long, secret relationship.
"The reason is that I am getting married," Andreas Unfrid wrote on the website of the St. Ursula parish in the Taunus region near Frankfurt.
Unfrid said he informed Bishop Georg Bacing of Limburg of his decision to step down in order to wed his "great love." He added that the couple will look for ways to continue practising their Christian faith together.
Diocesan reaction
A spokesperson for the diocese, Stefan Shnele, said the bishop "immediately suspended him." The diocese thanked him "for decades of service and wishes him all the best," and said Bishop Bacing had not been aware of the secret relationship.
Shnele also commented: "Cases like this happen again and again." According to church rules, Catholic priests are bound by celibacy and are not permitted to marry.
Photo: press material from the event
