has formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, with a new document explaining a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking GodB次元官网网址檚 love and mercy shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be subject to B次元官网网址渁n exhaustive moral analysisB次元官网网址� to receive it.
The document from the VaticanB次元官网网址檚 doctrine office, released Monday, elaborates on a letter Francis that was published in October. In that preliminary response, Francis suggested such blessings could be offered under some circumstances if they didnB次元官网网址檛 confuse the ritual with the sacrament of marriage.
The new document repeats that condition and elaborates on it, reaffirming that marriage is a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman. And it stresses that blessings in question must be non-liturgical in nature and should not be conferred at the same time as , using set rituals or even with the clothing and gestures that belong in a wedding.
But it says requests for such blessings for same-sex couples should not be denied full stop. It offers an extensive and broad definition of the term B次元官网网址渂lessingB次元官网网址� in Scripture to insist that people seeking a transcendent relationship with God and looking for his love and mercy should not be subject to B次元官网网址渁n exhaustive moral analysisB次元官网网址� as a precondition for receiving it.
B次元官网网址淯ltimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God,B次元官网网址� the document said. B次元官网网址淭he request for a blessing, thus, expresses and nurtures openness to the transcendence, mercy, and closeness to God in a thousand concrete circumstances of life, which is no small thing in the world in which we live.B次元官网网址�
He added: B次元官网网址淚t is a seed of the Holy Spirit that must be nurtured, not hindered.B次元官网网址�
The Vatican holds that marriage is an indissoluble union between man and woman. As a result, it has long opposed same-sex marriage.
And in 2021, the VaticanB次元官网网址檚 Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said flat-out that the church couldnB次元官网网址檛 bless the unions of two men or two women because
That document created an outcry, one it appeared even Francis was blindsided by even though he had technically approved its publication. Soon after it was published, he removed the official responsible for it and set about laying the groundwork for a reversal.
In the new document, the Vatican said the church must shy away from B次元官网网址渄octrinal or disciplinary schemes, especially when they lead to a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism whereby instead of evangelizing, one analyzes and classifies others, and instead of opening the door to grace, one exhausts his or her energies in inspecting and verifying.B次元官网网址�
It stressed that people in B次元官网网址渋rregularB次元官网网址� unions B次元官网网址� gay or straight B次元官网网址� are in a state of sin. But it said that shouldnB次元官网网址檛 deprive them of GodB次元官网网址檚 love or mercy.
B次元官网网址淭hus, when people ask for a blessing, an exhaustive moral analysis should not be placed as a precondition for conferring it,B次元官网网址� the document said.
The Rev. James Martin, who advocates for greater welcome for LGBTQ+ Catholics, praised the new document as a B次元官网网址渉uge step forwardB次元官网网址� and a B次元官网网址渄ramatic shiftB次元官网网址� from the VaticanB次元官网网址檚 2021 policy.
The new document B次元官网网址渞ecognizes the deep desire in many Catholic same-sex couples for GodB次元官网网址檚 presence and help in their committed relationships,B次元官网网址� he said in an email. B次元官网网址淎long with many Catholic priests, I will now be delighted to bless my friends in same-sex marriages.B次元官网网址�
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