Overview
- EKBO said the Kreuzberg pastor faced massive harassment on social media and stated it stands by her, reserving the right to take legal action against hate and defamation.
- The church emphasized the summer event was not a church wedding, noting evangelical weddings require a prior civil marriage and constitute a two-person rite.
- Bishop Christian Stäblein called media claims of polygamy baseless in this context, and coverage noted that German law does not recognize polygamous civil marriages.
- The blessing occurred at a pop-up wedding festival outside Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche in Berlin, which the pastor publicized on Instagram in a post later deleted.
- The pastor described the blessing of four men as a spontaneous act of pastoral care and said she does not know the individuals’ names.