Pope Francis has formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, but has reaffirmed that marriage is between a man and a woman.
A new document explains a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting people seeking God's love and mercy should not be subject to 'an exhaustive moral analysis' to receive it.
The document from the Vatican's doctrine office, released today, elaborates on a letter Francis sent to two conservative cardinals that was published in October.In that preliminary response, Francis suggested such blessings could be offered under some circumstances if they did not confuse the ritual with the sacrament of marriage.
The new document repeats that rationale and elaborates on it, reaffirming that marriage is a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman. And it stresses that blessings should not be conferred at the same time as a civil union or even with the clothing and gestures that belong in a wedding.
But it says requests for such blessings should not be denied full stop.
It offers an extensive definition of the term 'blessing' in Scripture to insist that people seeking a transcendent relationship with God and looking for his love and mercy should not be subject to 'an exhaustive moral analysis' as a precondition for receiving it.
'Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God,' the document said.
'The request for a blessing, thus, expresses and nurtures openness to the transcendence, mercy, and closeness to God in a thousand concrete circumstances of life, which is no small thing in the world in which we live.'
He added: 'It is a seed of the Holy Spirit that must be nurtured, not hindered.'
The Vatican holds that marriage is an indissoluble union between man and woman. As a result, it has long opposed same-sex marriage.
And in 2021, the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said flat-out that the church couldn't bless the unions of two men or two women because 'God cannot bless sin'. That document created an outcry, one it appeared even Francis was blindsided by even though he had technically approved its publication.
Soon after it was published, he removed the official responsible for it and set about laying the groundwork for a reversal.
In the new document, the Vatican said the church must shy away from 'doctrinal or disciplinary schemes, especially when they lead to a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism whereby instead of evangelising, one analyses and classifies others, and instead of opening the door to grace, one exhausts his or her energies in inspecting and verifying'.
It stressed that people in 'irregular' unions - gay or straight - are in a state of sin. But it said that shouldn't deprive them of God's love or mercy.
'Thus, when people ask for a blessing, an exhaustive moral analysis should not be placed as a precondition for conferring it,' the document said.
The Rev. James Martin, who advocates for greater welcome for LGBTQ+ Catholics, praised the new document as a 'huge step forward' and a 'dramatic shift' from the Vatican's 2021 policy.
The new document 'recognises the deep desire in many Catholic same-sex couples for God's presence and help in their committed relationships,' he said in an email.
'Along with many Catholic priests, I will now be delighted to bless my friends in same-sex marriages.'
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
This is an invitation to be open minded. Who says 2 men or women having consensual relationships is a sin? Have we read the Bible so well? And is God concerned about that or about our dishonesty, greed , hatred for each other. Did Jesus not say how he will judge the world in the Bible. He will separate the sheep from the goat and say when I was hungry u gave me food, when thirsty u gave me drink etc. where did Jesus say he was going to judge based on homosexuality. Is Paul higher than Jesus ? Hmm. Thank you Pope Francis. The church knows the truth about the issue.
Surely the times, they’re a changing. Let’s watch and pray. Ghanaian priests are exempt anyway since the whole issue is prohibited here. They will have difficulty when they travel to the west.
This Pope needs prayers, he has forgotten he has a Bible
@Amadu Alhassan, you and your likes will be disappointed! The pope is not the father of Christianity, neither is he the Head of the Church. The pope by virtue of his position as the head of the catholic church does not make him the decider of the Christian doctrines, he's entitled to his opinions and entirely responsible for his decisions. Our Lord is Jesus the Christ, and He alone has the final say. Even among the people closest to the pope, you'll see that most are in disagreement with this directive and majority of Catholics will disregard it, not to even think of the pentecostals.
Ha ha ha, hybrid Christianity, by now all churches must be closed in Ghana as Rwanda did. Now according to the Pope Christians' can practice ***barred word*** ***barred word***.