On same-sex blessings, some Catholics celebrate change while others point to limits

[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnVATICAN CITY (RNS) — A Vatican declaration allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples sent shock waves around the world when it was released on Monday (Dec. 18) and deepened an already strong divide between conservatives and progressives in the church.The document, “Fiducia Supplicans,” issued by the Dicastery on the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by Pope Francis, explicitly states that it made no changes to Catholic teaching on marriage or sexuality, and in fact sets limitations on the blessings for couples considered “irregular” in the church, including same-sex couples as well as unmarried or remarried couples.
But advocates for LGBTQ inclusion in the church have praised the declaration as an unprecedented opening.
The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and founder of Outreach, an online resource to promote the welcoming of LGBTQ people in the Catholic Church, described the document as a “major step forward” that “recognizes the deep desire in many Catholic same-sex couples for God’s presence in their loving relationships.”
In an email on Monday, Martin said that the declaration signified a “dramatic shift” for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which in March 2021 banned the blessing of same-sex couples, saying that God “cannot bless sin.”
The Rev. James Martin at the Vatican in …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]