The document surprised all observers, from journalists to the most concerned believers. By endorsing for the first time on Monday, December 18, the possibility of “blessing couples in an irregular situation and same-sex couples,” the Vatican provoked numerous reactions, including surprise and enthusiasm among those concerned.
“I am very happy because it meets the need to welcome all people without barriers,” says Diego Moreira, a French-Brazilian Catholic, about a relationship with another man. “I have a child born through surrogacy and I am relieved about how my family can live out their faith in the Church. » On the part of the Christian LGBT community, the Romans' green light was actually received very positively. This is particularly true for Jean-Michel Dunand, founder and prior of the Bethany Communion, an ecumenical brotherhood that serves homosensitive people. “The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith opens a door for us, which is very positive,” he explained, expressing his “gratitude.” He also says he is committed to continuing work at a “theological, doctrinal or exegetical” level in the hope that the church will one day approve marriage of same-sex couples.
Pastoral openness, unchanged teaching
However, in this document “Fiducia supplicans”, the Vatican strongly reaffirms the traditional teaching of the Church, according to which marriage is “an exclusive, stable and indissoluble union between a man and a woman”. The blessings of homosexual couples must also be pronounced outside of every liturgy. “A step has been taken,” notes Cyrille de Compiègne, spokesman for the David and Jonathan Christian and LGBTI association, “even if the text still sets very clear limits on the exercise of these blessings.” »
If he believes that Rome is responding to real needs on the ground, Cyrille de Compiègne regrets a “half solution”. “All around us we hear reactions like: 'Is this really a strong gesture of recognition or a blessing, like we bless school bags?'” he reports. For Guillaume, a “concerned Catholic”, this pastoral progress remains unsatisfactory without changing the Church's doctrine, which considers unions between people of the same sex to be sinful. “By not wanting to change the substance but always showing pastoral creativity, it almost leads to schizophrenia,” he says.
For their part, are priests prepared to bless homosexual couples as such? While some have been waiting for this green light for a long time, others are trying to find a way to understand the connection between the pastoral practice it advocates and the Church's teaching on homosexuality, which does not change. Therefore, there are different interpretations of this text within the clergy, distinguishing the blessing pronounced in a liturgical context from a blessing related to popular piety. “I see it as a new way of talking about blessings,” analyzes a priest from a parish in the east of Paris. “This is not a blessing of pure gratitude, but also a blessing of growth. Blessing is not a legitimation, but is part of God's register, who wants to make us grow. It is a way of spiritual absorption for people who have previously faced some kind of barrier. »
Ambiguity
For other priests, Fiducia supplicans causes confusion. According to Father Marc Isnard, priest of the Diocese of Le Mans, the question arises as to the purpose of the blessing. “The text explains how we can bless people, but also says we can bless couples,” he emphasizes. Are we blessing two people or the union of two people? If it is the union that is being blessed, then this raises problems and requires a profound theological debate. »
If the Sarthe priest sees in the Roman gesture a positive search for a solution to greater inclusion, he considers that the framework provided for these blessings lacks clarity. “If these blessings cannot be performed in a ritual or liturgical context, does that mean that even a sign of the cross is not required? We can limit ourselves to a word of encouragement, but then we risk disappointing the people who address the priests in this way,” explains Father Isnard.
Others want to see it as a text inserted into the continuity of the Church's traditional teaching, even if the possibility of blessing a homosexual couple appears for the first time. “Apart from the word ‘couple’, there is nothing very new from a pastoral point of view beyond the impact of the announcement,” emphasizes Father Pierre Amar, priest of the Diocese of Versailles. In his eyes, this is evidenced by the affirmation of the doctrine of marriage in three of the first paragraphs: “The Roman text dares to specify obvious things as if they were revolutionary novelties, but in reality blessing people, regardless of whether, is something very classic People are.” whether homosexual or not. »
For Father Amar, the lack of mention of homosexual people who try to live “sometimes heroically the demand of the Gospel, namely abstinence,” is harmful. “There is not a single word for these people in this text, it pains me,” he continues. The text invokes blessings but ignores the support of the people making this decision.
More broadly, the Pope's decision to now approve this decision raises questions for a certain number of Catholics, even though the issue had already been discussed in the first part of the Roman Synod in October. “The question is also, what good can a synod do when Rome says exactly the opposite about the work of the “People of God,” which has barely gathered and must meet again next year? » asked Christophe Dickès, historian of Catholicism, on X (formerly Twitter). If the question of sexual morality was indeed at the heart of the synod's debates, it did not appear in the conclusions published two months ago.
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Msgr. Johan Bonny, Bishop of Antwerp (Belgium)
“What the Pope is telling us with this authorization is that we cannot limit our view of a complex human relationship to just its sexual dimension, that the challenges of a Christian life are not limited to what goes into the bedroom.” This is what is happening in Belgium since 2022. If we commit ourselves to fidelity for a more just society, even in a so-called “irregular” relationship, this is also part of a Christian life. All couples can have flaws, mistakes and sins. The church is not just there to sanction: it is about recognizing what is true, beautiful and good, even in a so-called “irregular” situation. »