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Berlin Protestant Church Distances Itself From Pastor’s Symbolic ‘Poly’ Wedding of Four Men

Church leaders say they bless only couples who have first married in a civil ceremony.

Overview

  • Pastor Lena Müller says she led a small religious service uniting four consenting men during an EKBO pop-up wedding event in Berlin-Kreuzberg this summer.
  • She described the rite as a blessing without legal effect, noting it could not be entered in the church book because German law permits marriage only between two people.
  • In a statement on Friday, Bishop Christian Stäblein said EKBO conducts weddings only for civilly married pairs and called polygamy accusations in this context baseless.
  • EKBO clarified the celebration was not a church wedding, with senior clergy reiterating that evangelical marriage rites are for two people.
  • Coverage reports no legal steps against the pastor, though multi-person marriages are illegal in Germany and can carry penalties or administrative consequences.