Vatican defends gay blessings, but gives critics some leeway
In the weeks since Pope Francis approved a rule allowing the blessing of same-sex couples, some bishops in conservative corners of the church such as Africa have said they would not allow priests to carry out the practice, which they say is in contradicts church doctrine. .
On Thursday, the Vatican said in a statement that any bishops who oppose the rule should take an “extended period of pastoral reflection” to understand why the Vatican says it is in line with church teaching.
The Vatican also said that while “local culture” must be taken into account when it comes to applying the declaration, bishops cannot – in a “total or definitive denial” – prohibit priests who wish to bestow the blessings from doing so to do.
Bishops who oppose the rule should not misinterpret it as an attempt by the Vatican to “approve or justify” relationships deemed sinful, and should understand that it does not undermine the church’s teaching against same-sex marriage, according to the Vatican. , because informal blessings are not formal. rituals.
In one specific area, however, the Vatican suggested that applying the rule and blessing same-sex couples could be a dangerous idea.
The Vatican noted that in some countries where homosexuality is criminalized – laws that Francis has previously spoken out against – a bishop must prevent priests from dating gay couples through blessings.
“If there are laws that punish the mere act of declaring yourself as homosexual with imprisonment and in some cases torture and even death, it stands to reason that a blessing would be imprudent,” the Vatican said.
Thursday’s statement on December “Fiducia Supplicans: on the pastoral meaning of blessings” was issued by the church’s top doctrinal official, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, who also said the rule should be understood as a way for pastors to be closer and more helpful to their congregants.
After the rule was issued in December, the Zambian bishops’ conference said the blessings for same-sex couples were “not intended for implementation in Zambia.” The Bishops’ Conference of Malawi refused to allow “any blessings” for “same-sex unions of any kind.”
Thursday’s statement seemed designed not to alienate these bishops while making clear that the rule was nevertheless the church’s path. It also sought to head off criticism from some conservative prelates that the declaration eroded church doctrine.
That was impossible, the Vatican argued, because the statement did not relate to church teaching and therefore could not be considered “heretical, contrary to the tradition of the Church or blasphemous.” Instead, it is “clear and definitive on marriage and sexuality” and clearly states that “the Church has no power to” grant blessings to same-sex relationships.
The Vatican also accepted that the application of the rule may take more time depending on “local contexts.” It notes that in some places – such as Western Europe or the United States, where the blessings of same-sex couples have already been celebrated – the declaration could be applied immediately. In other countries, it will be necessary not to implement the rule to allow more time to read and interpret it, the statement said.
However, that didn’t mean it could be ignored.
As long as the statement “signed and approved by the Pope himself” is respected and the bishops make efforts “to respond to the reflection contained therein,” they can decide that priests will perform the blessings only in private. The Vatican noted that, after all, bishops trust that they know their flocks best.
The Vatican acknowledged that some bishops are rejecting the blessings “for the time being,” but added that “we must all grow equally in the conviction that: non-ritualized blessings are not a commitment of the person nor of the couple receiving them, they are not a justification for all their actions, and they are not an endorsement of the life they live.”
What they are, the Vatican says, is a way for preachers to be closer to the faithful, without litmus tests or questions about people’s private lives.
As in the original statement, the Vatican argued in its statement that embracing “spontaneous or pastoral” blessings, more in line with popular faith and clearly separated from liturgy and ritual, is the true innovation. In short, the rule is intended to allow blessings to blossom on the fly.
Some liberal churches in Belgium had previously adopted liturgies for the blessing of same-sex couples, something the Vatican again made clear is now prohibited because a liturgical form could be confused with a sacrament such as marriage.
The Vatican repeatedly emphasized that the blessings were not an acceptance of a situation it considers sinful.
“It is clearly not a marriage, but neither is it an ‘approval’ or ratification of anything,” the Vatican wrote.
To avoid any confusion or confusion with blessing a union, the Vatican added that “the blessing should not take place in a prominent place in a sacred building,” such as an altar.
Giving an example of a short blessing, the Vatican added: “We’re talking about something that lasts about 10 or 15 seconds. Does it make sense to deny these kinds of blessings to these two people who ask for them? Isn’t it more appropriate to support their faith?”
Francis clearly thinks so and makes it clear that this will be the way forward – even if the blessings are not immediately adopted everywhere.
“We will all have to get used to the fact that if a priest gives these kinds of simple blessings, he is not a heretic, he does not ratify anything and he does not deny Catholic teaching,” the Vatican said. And that is true, it added, “even though they are great sinners.”