The priest does not bless the union, but the people who have asked for it together
In his address, Francis emphasized that these blessings do not require moral perfection to be received.
Pope Francis on Friday defended the Catholic Church’s recent approval of blessing couples in irregular situations, including same-sex couples. At the same time, the Pope tried to appease his conservative critics.
The Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith reported in December that priests may, under certain circumstances, bless couples in irregular situations, including same-sex couples or divorced and civilly remarried couples.
However, in some parts of the world, especially in Africa, this decision caused resentment and outrage among clergy and believers, with critics accusing the church of concessions on the issues of gay marriage and homosexuality. However, the Vatican refused. The document by which African bishops refused to bless homosexual couples was created in coordination with the Vatican.
The document Fiducia supplicans, which concerns the blessing of couples in irregular situations, was mentioned by the Pope on Friday in his address to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith as it gathered in the Vatican for its annual plenary assembly.
The Pope emphasized that the purpose of the pastoral and spontaneous blessings described in the document is to “show the closeness of the Lord and the Church to all those who find themselves in various situations and ask for help to continue – sometimes even begin – the journey of faith”.
In his address, Francis emphasized that these blessings “do not require moral perfection to be received.”He also noted that when a couple spontaneously turns to a clergyman and asks for a blessing, “he is not blessing the union, but simply the people who have asked for it together … taking into account the context, sensitivity, where one life, and the most appropriate ways to do”.
In light of the backlash the Vatican’s move has sparked, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a press release in early January explaining that the pastoral blessings made possible by the Dec. 18 Fiducia supplicants declaration are to be short and outside the space in front of the altar, without the use of a book of blessings.
Rome’s unclear steps allowed the bishops to choose the approach they thought was best.“When two people approach such a blessing together, the priest simply asks God for peace, health, and other good things for the two people who ask for it,” reads the statement signed by the prefect of the dicastery, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, and secretary Armando Matteo.
At the same time, the Vatican reiterated that the church’s stance on marriage is “clear and definitive”: it can only be a union between a man and a woman. The church also has an unchanged attitude towards sexuality, considering homosexual behavior as a sin.
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