\n
Pope Francis<\/strong><\/p>\nPope Francis has suggested he would be open to having the Catholic Church bless same-sex couples.<\/p>\n
Responding to a group of cardinals who asked him for clarity on the issue, he said any request for a blessing should be treated with \u201cpastoral charity\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot be judges who only deny, reject and exclude,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He added, however, that the Church still considered same-sex relationships \u201cobjectively sinful\u201d and would not recognise same-sex marriage.
1
The request was one of a number sent to the Pope ahead of a week-long global gathering to discuss the future of the Church, set to get under way at the Vatican on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
In the Catholic Church, a blessing is a prayer or plea, usually delivered by a minister, asking for God to look favourably on the person or people being blessed.<\/p>\n
Bishops in a number of countries, including Belgium and Germany, have begun to allow priests to bless same-sex couples, but the position of Church authorities remained unclear.<\/p>\n
Though this seems a significant change in tone, it has to be remembered that as recently the spring of 2021, the same pope approved a decree from the Vatican\u2019s doctrinal office forbidding priests from blessing same-sex unions.<\/p>\n
Then, it was stressed that such partnerships are sinful and as such could not be blessed.
Earlier this year, when Pope Francis talked of homosexuality not being a crime, he still talked of it as being a sin.<\/p>\n
In referring to blessings now, Pope Francis has not expressly talked of what would be blessed: the unions or the individual or group wanting to be blessed.<\/p>\n
He talked more generally of those asking for blessing as expressing a request for help from God to be able to live better, something he said should not be denied them.<\/p>\n
The Pope said the Church understood marriage to be an \u201cexclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman\u201d and should avoid \u201cany type of rite or sacramental that might contradict this conviction\u201d.<\/p>\n
But he added that \u201cwhen a blessing is requested, it is expressing a plea to God for help, a supplication to live better\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cPastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or more persons, that do not convey a mistaken concept of marriage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Appearing to suggest that requests for blessings should be considered on a case-by-case basis, he said that \u201cdecisions that may be part of pastoral prudence in certain circumstances should not necessarily become a norm\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cCanon law should not and cannot cover everything,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He added that the Church should always approach its relationships with people with \u201ckindness, patience, understanding, tenderness and encouragement\u201d.<\/p>\n
While this does not mark a doctrinal departure, Pope Francis\u2019 papacy has been characterised by moves to soften the Church\u2019s language on sexuality and other key issues.<\/p>\n
That is something that, throughout, has angered those conservatives who look to hold more strictly to the historic teachings of the faith.<\/p>\n
In February, a vote of senior figures in the Church of England backed proposals to allow prayers of blessing for same-sex couples.<\/p>\n
The move would mean a same-sex couple could go to an Anglican church after a legal marriage ceremony for services including prayers of dedication, thanksgiving and God\u2019s blessing.<\/p>\n
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Pope Francis Pope Francis has suggested he would be open to having the Catholic Church bless same-sex couples. Responding to a group of cardinals who asked him for clarity on the issue, he said any request for a blessing should be treated with \u201cpastoral charity\u201d. \u201cWe cannot be judges who only deny, reject and exclude,\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":106728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment"],"yoast_head":"\n
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