ROME – Pope Francis has doubled down on his support for blessing same-sex couples, calling those who oppose the practice “hypocrites.”
“I do not bless ‘same-sex marriages.’ I bless two people who love each other, and I ask you to pray for me,” the pope said. Said italian weekly magazine Credere this week.
Just before Christmas, the Vatican’s Doctrine Secretariat, under the leadership of Argentina’s Cardinal Victor Manuel “Tucho” Fernández, reversed the Vatican’s position on blessing same-sex couples.
“From a strictly liturgical point of view,” the Vatican asserted, blessing requires that the blessed submit to God’s will. declaration Fiducia SupplicanBut from a pastoral perspective, it doesn’t have to be that way.
Under a broader pastoral understanding of blessings, blessings are defined as “formally identifying couples in irregular circumstances or same-sex couples or changing in some way the Church’s long-standing teaching on marriage.” I understand the possibility of celebrating without having to do so,” Cardinal Fernández said in his presentation. of the declaration.
In an earlier declaration in March 2021, the Vatican declared that the church does not have the authority to bless same-sex unions because God himself “does not and cannot bless sin.”
Blessing requires “the right intentions of those who participate” and that “those being blessed are commanded to objectively and actively receive and express grace according to God’s plan inscribed in creation.” The text, published with express permission, states: of Pope Francis.
“This decision has already been widely interpreted as authorizing the blessing of sexual sin.” https://t.co/5MOTMQ2cMa
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) December 30, 2023
“For this reason, it is not lawful to bless any relationship or partnership, even a stable one, that involves sexual activity outside of marriage, as is the case with same-sex unions,” it says.
In line with the church’s longstanding practice, the 2021 document forbids the blessing of gay couples, while explicitly allowing the blessing of individuals, even those who have committed serious sins.
The rejection of the possibility of blessing homosexual couples “does not preclude the blessing given to individuals with homosexual tendencies who express their will to live faithfully to God’s revealed plan as proposed by the teachings of the Church.” No,” the text declares.
In this week’s interview CredereThe Pope seemed to confuse the two issues, as if some people had a problem blessing people with homosexual tendencies.
“Blessing a businessman who exploits people doesn’t scandalize anyone, but celebrating homosexuals is scandalous,” he said, adding that this was “hypocrisy”.
Resistance against the Vatican is growing volte face On the issue of blessing gay couples, particularly from the Pan-African Bishops’ Conference, a joint statement said: declaration: “There is no place to celebrate gay couples in Africa. Not at all.”
As Francis, claimed He said those “vehemently protesting” the decision to allow the blessing “belongs to a small ideological group” but said the continent’s case is “special” because for them “homosexuality is ‘ugly’ to human beings”. Because it’s a thing,” he added. Cultural perspective. they won’t tolerate it. ”
African bishops are “currently portrayed condescendingly as culturally conditioned.” answered “We fail to ask ourselves how much we are giving in to the pressures of the culture around us,” said Dr. Nina Heeleman, a professor of theology.
