by Mike James

In December 2023, two major Christian church groups began officially blessing same-sex couples.

The Church of England began their practice on December 17, 2023. In February the Church voted to allow clergy to bless the unions of same-sex couples who have had civil weddings or partnerships. The words used for the blessings, known as prayers of love and faith, were approved by the church's House of Bishops on December 12, 2023.

Not to be outdone, the Vatican announced on December 18, 2023, that Catholic priests may bless same-sex couples. The announcement states that the blessings in question must not be tied to any specific Catholic celebration or religious service and should not be done at the same time as a civil union ceremony. The blessings cannot use set rituals or involve the clothing and gestures that belong in a wedding.

But it says requests for blessings for same-sex couples should not be denied. It offers a broad definition of the term "blessing" in Scripture to insist that people seeking a transcendent relationship with God and looking for his love and mercy shouldn't be held up to an impossible moral standard to receive it.

The Vatican still believes that marriage is a union between a man and a woman. It also still teaches same-sex marriage is wrong and considers homosexual acts to be "intrinsically disordered." None of that has changed.

What's interesting about the language here is these church organizations are blessing same-sex unions, not just individuals who are homosexual. Why this nuanced distinction? Well of course God wants the best for all His children regardless of what sin they may be troubled by. But by blessing the union these church groups are trying to have it both ways. [Editor's note: Since the publication of Fiducia Supplicans, the document that gives priests permission to bless same-sex couples, Vatican officials and Catholic apologists, responding to media reports and criticisms from Catholic traditionalists (clergy and laity alike), have stated that the document supports the blessing of individuals in a same-sex union, but not the union itself.]

Of course, God is loving and compassionate for all people. We read that in the Bible (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). He wants to save all. But the Bible also has a lot to say about sin and the need to move away from it (Romans 6; Acts 2:38). To repent means to change and move away from something (sin).

In 2021, the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said flat-out that the church couldn't bless the unions of two men or two women because "God cannot bless sin."

That 2021 statement created an uproar and appeared to have blindsided Pope Francis, even though he had technically approved its publication. Soon after it was published, he removed the official responsible for it and some say set about laying the groundwork for a reversal.

In the new document, the Vatican said the church must avoid "doctrinal or disciplinary schemes especially when they lead to a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism whereby instead of evangelizing, one analyzes and classifies others."

The Pope also said this in 2013 when asked about gay priests: "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?"

The point here is of course we don't want to be Pharisaical about sin. We are all sinners. But the Bible is clear we can judge actions as sinful and wrong, and we need to teach that and move away from sin.

The new document said a blessing is about helping people increase their trust in God. "It is a seed of the Holy Spirit that must be nurtured, not hindered."

It stressed that people in "irregular" unions of extramarital sex—gay or straight—are in a state of sin. But it said that shouldn't deprive them of God's love or mercy. "Even when a person's relationship with God is clouded by sin, he can always ask for a blessing, stretching out his hand to God," the document said. Notice that heterosexual "irregular" unions were also mentioned in the document. But note how the media has reported the story. The emphasis is on the homosexual unions receiving a blessing. I wonder why?

"Thus, when people ask for a blessing, an exhaustive moral analysis should not be placed as a precondition for conferring it," the document said.

It seems to me like the Catholic Church is trying to appease some within its ranks while trying not to offend others. That is a difficult needle to thread.

The Rev. James Martin, who advocates for a greater welcome for LGBTQ+ Catholics, praised the new document as a "huge step forward" and a "dramatic shift" from the Vatican's 2021 policy.

"Along with many Catholic priests, I will now be delighted to bless my friends in same-sex marriages," he said in an email.

Conservatives in the Church are angry. The traditionalist blogger Luigi Casalini of Messa in Latino (Latin Mass) blog wrote that the document appeared to be a form of heresy.

"The church is crumbling," he wrote.

University of Notre Dame theologian Ulrich Lehner was also concerned, saying it would merely sow confusion and could lead to division in the church.

"The Vatican's statement is, in my view, the most unfortunate public announcement in decades," he said in a statement. "Moreover, some bishops will use it as a pretext to do what the document explicitly forbids, especially since the Vatican has not stopped them before. It is—and I hate to say it—an invitation to schism."

Could this be why the homosexual angle is being blown up in the media? Are there forces out there trying to weaken Christian Churches (Revelation 12:9; II Corinthains 11:13-15)?

Ramón Gómez, in charge of human rights for the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation group in Chile, said the statement was a step toward breaking down discrimination in the church and could help LGBTQ+ people in countries where even civil unions aren't legal.

But he said the document was "belated" and "contradictory" in specifying a non-ritualized blessing that cannot be confused with marriage. Such a mixed message, he said, "thus once again gives the signal that same-sex couples are inferior to heterosexual couples."

These recent developments in the Catholic Church and the Church of England are signals of what direction Christianity is moving in. Major Christian groups are moving away from scripture as their primary guide and allowing popular culture and other opinions to guide them.

But like any major change that occurs in a Christian church, it usually does not happen quickly. It takes time due to all the competing interests pushing for their viewpoint. It will be interesting to see where this issue is in another twenty years.

Sources: "Church of England Begins Blessing Same-Sex Couples," The Washington Post, December 18, 2023

"Pope Approves Blessings For Same-Sex Couples That Must Not Resemble Marriage," by Nicole Winfield and David Crary, Associated Press, December 19, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/vatican-lgbtq-pope-bfa5b71fa79055626e362936e739d1d8

"Vatican Approves Blessings For Same-Sex Couples in Landmark Ruling," by Philip Pullella, Reuters, December 18, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/vatican-approves-blessings-same-sex-couples-under-certain-conditions-2023-12-18/

"Pope Francis Approves Catholic Blessings for Same-Sex Couples, but Not for Marriage," by Becky Sullivan, NPR, December 18, 2023, https://www.npr.org/2023/12/18/1220077102/pope-francis-blessings-same-sex-couples