- Religious institution initiates disciplinary actions against cleric from Bremen.
The Bremian Evangelical Church is still considering collaborating with Pastor Olaf Latzel from Bremer. Following the court's judgment and rationale, the church hierarchy will analyze the situation and assess its impact on the ongoing administrative actions against the pastor, as announced by a representative. Subsequently, they will mull over the implications of the court verdict for these proceedings. The Bremen District Court temporarily halted the trial for incitement, pending a fine payment.
Pastor Latzel, serving at the St. Martini parish in Bremen, made problematic comments during a wedding workshop in October 2019. These statements, which he later regretted, targeted homosexuals and transgender individuals. Eventually, these remarks were shared as an audio recording online.
Negotiations led to the court's provisional suspension of the trial on Wednesday. Pastor Latzel is now required to pay a fine of 5,000 euros to the Bremen non-profit association Rat&Tat-Zentrum für queeres Leben within half a year.
Administrative procedures remain in effect
If the pastor makes the payment in a timely manner, the proceedings will be officially terminated. Consequently, there will be no ruling, and Latzel will be deemed guiltless. Such an outcome could potentially influence his future as a pastor. However, administrative procedures against Olaf Latzel still persist. The Bremian Evangelical Church initially distanced itself from him, even temporarily suspending him. Currently, Latzel is permitted to conduct services with certain restrictions, as the church awaits the court's ruling.
"The decision lays the groundwork for the administrative procedures," the church asserted. It also underscored: "The church condemns any utterances that demean, disparage, or infringe upon the dignity of individuals. 'The Bremian Evangelical Church unequivocally supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.'"
The church will review the impact of the court's decision on the ongoing administrative actions against Pastor Latzel, which includes the disciplinary action against him. Regardless of the fine payment and the court's ruling, disciplinary action against Pastor Latzel remains in effect due to his past remarks.
