CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland responded Monday to Pope Francis' formal approval of priests blessing same-sex couples by acknowledging the couples' desire to seek God's help but also reaffirming that marriage is between one man and one be a woman.
“The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has approved a document recently issued by the Vatican that makes it clear that anyone who intends to seek God's help in living a holy life can request a blessing from the Church,” it said Statement from the Diocese of Cleveland reads. “Such people, including those living in marriages not recognized by the Church and in same-sex relationships, can be spontaneously blessed by the pastors of the Church when they ask for God's strength and help in carrying out his will.”
The new document offers additional insight into a letter from Pope Francis published in October, in which he first proposed offering blessings as long as they are not related to the marriage itself and do not occur at the same time as a civil partnership.
The document “provides a detailed definition of the term 'blessing' in Scripture to insist that people who seek a transcendent relationship with God and seek his love and mercy do not require 'exhaustive moral analysis' as a prerequisite for receiving it.” should be subjected to this blessing. says an Associated Press article.
The Diocese of Cleveland further responded to the new document, saying: “When people ask the Church for a blessing, the Holy Father rightly calls us to see this as a sign that they want to do the will of God and that they like we all do.” I need God’s help for that. As the document explicitly states, this in no way changes the teaching of the Church, including the fact that marriage is reserved for only one man and one woman.”
Catholic dioceses around the world responded to the announcement on Monday. Nancy Fishburn, director of communications for the diocese, declined to be interviewed and would only provide a statement.
The Diocese of Cleveland has recently been at odds with Pope Francis on LGBTQ-related issues. He recently said transgender people can receive baptism, serve as godparents and be present at Catholic weddings.
However, the Pope's acceptance of the transgender community stands in sharp contrast to a formal policy recently adopted by the Diocese of Cleveland that prohibits students and staff from undergoing gender-affirming care and using pronouns other than those associated with the biological Gender of a person are connected. It also requires church or school staff to tell a child's parents whether they are transgender.