The Vatican religious authority, under its new leader, publishes a declaration of principles. And it abandons the prohibition on blessing homosexual couples. However, confusion with marriage must be ruled out. And the blessing must occur outside the church service.
Homosexual couples can now also be blessed in the Catholic Church. The Vatican's religious authority released a policy statement on Monday allowing Catholic clergy to bless unmarried and homosexual couples. This means that Rome's highest magisterium has made a clear U-turn in dealing with people who feel homosexual.
Document approved by the Pope
The text entitled “Fiducia supplicans” (German: The suppliant trust) emphasizes that confusion with marriage must be discarded. A cleric is also not authorized to give the blessing during a religious service.
The religious authority's statement was released at the Vatican on Monday in several languages, including German. It bears the signature of the new prefect of the religious authority, Cardinal Víctor Fernández, considered a close confidant of the Pope. The letter was expressly approved by Francisco.
“Without changing the teachings of the Church”
In the authoritative text, Fernández emphasizes that the Church has “expanded and enriched” its understanding of what a blessing is in light of Pope Francis’ pastoral ideals. With this more developed understanding of blessing, it is possible “to bless couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples without officially confirming their status or in any way altering the Church’s long-standing teaching on marriage.”
Just recently, in February 2021, the Vatican's religious authority announced that blessings for homosexual couples were not possible in the Catholic Church. According to current Catholic teaching, it is not a sin to have homosexual feelings. However, intimate acts between people of the same sex are “not intrinsically right.” The expression of sexuality is reserved for marriage, which can only be celebrated between a man and a woman.