TRIER, Germany (RNS/ENI) A German priest who distributes condoms to help stem the spread of HIV/AIDS can continue working at his South African clinic but must give up the pulpit at a local Catholic church under a new deal with his bishop.
The Rev. Stefan Hippler, who has worked in Africa for 12 years,served a German-speaking congregation in Cape Town, and also initiated an AIDS charity project called “Hope,” which caters for HIV-positive children and parents.
In a 2007 book, “God, AIDS, Africa,” co-written with journalist Bartholomaus Grill, Hippler urged a reconsideration of the Catholic Church’s ban on condoms, saying the church’s theology on AIDS is more than 40 years out-of-date.
Last March, Hippler helped establish an organization to care for priests and nuns who are HIV-positive. Two months later, the German Catholic Bishops’ Conference, which employed Hippler in Cape Town, announced it would not renew his contract and recalled Hippler to the Diocese of Trier.
However, in a deal with newly-installed Trier Bishop Stephan Ackerman, Hippler was granted a new five-year contract in Cape Town, paid for by the Trier diocese. Hippler will give up his pulpit at the Cape Town church.
Under the new arrangement, Hippler’s work will be financed by his diocese, not the German bishops’ conference. “It is really good that a solution was found where both parties are content,” Hippler said.
Shortly after taking office last May, Ackermann praised the “great commitment” of Hippler’s work. “For his efforts I am thankful. That is regardless of some statements of Father Hippler regarding questions of sexual ethics that are not in accordance with the teachings of the church.”
By Anli Serfontein
Religion News Service
Copyright 2009 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission
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posted September 4, 2009 at 12:40 am
It sounds like his bishop may be smarter or more moral than the average bishop. I wish them both luck.
posted September 4, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Good…the man can still help folks. Yes, nnmns, I think you’re right about Hippler’s bishop.
posted September 4, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Some Priest stand in a pulpit, and some take their pulpit with them as they go out and physically help God’s people to need help.
Roses to Bishop Ackermann, and Priest Hippler.
posted September 4, 2009 at 2:23 pm
I wish they would get their programming fixed. When I have to type over I usually make mistakes. Priest’s, who need help.
posted September 6, 2009 at 12:32 pm
As the author of this story, I am just amazed at how it has been taken out of context, distributed with a red-top headline and sensationalized, once it crossed the Atlantic.
The original headline emanating from Europe was: “German priest working with AIDS orphans to stay in S. Africa”.
By clicking on the link you can read the original balanced story.
posted September 8, 2009 at 10:26 am
Ms. Serfontein, thank you for letting us see how much RNS has altered your article to fit their idea of what Americans want to read about religion (or maybe it was just a very poor job of condensing).