However, the meeting highlighted a rare agreement between the Catholic and Coptic Orthodox Churches on their stance against homosexual relationships.

During their meeting, Pope Tawadros II expressed his concerns directly, urging clarity and consistency in upholding traditional Christian values.

Cardinal Fernández responded by acknowledging the importance of these values. He also mentioned the need for ongoing dialogue to address and bridge any misunderstandings or disagreements that arise.

This encounter follows the Vatican's controversial clarification outlined in "Fiducia Supplicans", allowing for a non-liturgical same-sex blessing for couples. Some have interpreted this as a shift in the Church's position on homosexuality.

In response to the publication, the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church suspended theological dialogue with the Catholic Church. The Synod also adopted a fundamental statement in which it reaffirmed its rejection of homosexual acts.

This suspension underscored the seriousness with which the Coptic Church regards the matter. It views any form of blessing for same-sex unions as contradictory to Christian doctrine.

Cardinal Fernández, head of the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, reassured Pope Tawadros that these blessings are not equivalent to the sacrament of marriage.

The declaration "Dignitas Infinita" also makes it abundantly clear that the Catholic Church completely rejects same-sex marriages.

Path of Love

Fernández emphasised the Catholic Church's adherence to traditional teachings on marriage as a union exclusively between a man and a woman. This position aligns with the beliefs of the Coptic Orthodox Church which has a similar doctrinal stance on homosexuality and marriage.

According to a news release issued by the Coptic Church, Tawadros told Fernández there is a path of love between the two churches. He also stressed the importance of dialogue.

Tawadros called for evaluating the results achieved by the Catholic-Oriental Orthodox Dialogue Commission over its 20 years of existence. He also expressed the need for more effective methods and mechanisms for the Commission's work.

Pope Francis met with Tawadros in May 2023 to mark the 50-year anniversary of restored relations between the Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church. However since March, formal ecumenical dialogue remains suspended.

Sources

Katholisch

Catholic News Agency

CathNews New Zealand

Father Seungbok Lee's actions have won applause from individuals and groups supporting same-sex couples' rights.

Two sets of female same-sex couples - Yeon Yeon and Yoon Hae, and Chris and Ari - are full of praise for Lee and the Catholic Church for their public blessing.

Other same-sex couples should feel encouraged to do the same Yeon says.

In line with the Vatican's guidelines, the blessing took place after Mass had been celebrated.

The Catholic group Arcus (Latin for "rainbow") arranged the Mass. The group, with the Archdiocese of Seoul's backing, was founded last May to offer support to LGBTQ people.

They were at the Mass to support the couple - as well as nuns and six priests from various parishes.

Being recognised

Both couples say the blessing has helped them feel like part of the Catholic community.

Chris and Ari, who had married in Canada in 2013, say "the fact that the two of us were blessed together is meaningful in itself.

"Receiving the blessing is a big step forward, but I feel that there are still mountains to overcome.

"I think it will take more time for social changes such as legalising same-sex marriage" Chris adds.

Yeon feels much the same way, saying "Tears continued to flow as I listened to the prayer during the blessing. I felt like my existence was being acknowledged for the first time.

"As a sexual minority couple, I felt like I was not even recognised for myself."

She also hopes the Church will formally approve same-sex marriages in the future.

Authority to bless same-sex and unmarried couples

The same-sex blessings followed the guidelines set out in a new document, Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust).

The Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith published Fiducia - which Pope Francis formally authorised - on 18 December last year.

The document clears the way for Catholic priests to bless a same-sex or other unmarried couple.

However, it also says same-sex couple blessings cannot be formal liturgical blessings. Nor may they give the impression that the Church is blessing these unions as if they were a marriage.

Fiducia has not changed the Church's accepted definition of marriage, which must be between a man and a woman.

Rather, the document provides for only an informal and spontaneous blessing between same-sex or unmarried couples. This blessing is neither a sacrament nor a rite of the Catholic church, Fiducia says.

Source

• UCA News

The discussion, organised by the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture, delved into topics surrounding gender theory's perceived threat to Christian values and family structures.

Notable figures in attendance included Cardinals Virgilio Do Carmo da Silva (Timor-Leste), Oswald Gracias (India), William Goh (Singapore) and Patrick D'Rozario (Bangladesh).

Among the European cardinals were Willem Eijk (Netherlands), Angelo Bagnasco (Italy) and Dominik Duka (Czech Republic). Also joining them were several African and American prelates including Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone (San Francisco, USA).

Despite attempts to keep discussion of gender ideology under wraps, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja (Nigeria) inadvertently revealed details on his Facebook page.

The programme, not publicly disclosed by the Austin Institute, included talks by prominent figures such as Robert Gahl, a priest of Opus Dei and Cardinal Willem Eijk of Utrecht who cautioned against the implications of gender theory on family and faith.

The Austin Institute's president, Mark Regnerus, confirmed its role in organising and sponsoring the event, describing it as an "intellectual retreat".

However, details regarding funding sources and participant selection remained undisclosed.

Same-sex blessings controversy

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Italian magazine Credere, Pope Francis addressed the controversy surrounding blessings for same-sex couples. Emphasising the importance of respecting all individuals, the pontiff clarified "I don't bless a ‘homosexual marriage,' I bless two people who love each other."

His remarks shed light on the pastoral approach outlined in the document "Fiducia Supplicans," permitting informal blessings for gay couples without endorsing their union.

Despite criticism and societal expectations, Pope Francis reaffirmed his commitment to extending blessings to all, regardless of their circumstances.

Sources

La Croix International

America Magazine

CathNews New Zealand

The Vatican's announcement, titled "Fiducia Supplicans," drew criticism from conservatives, with some Catholic bishops in Africa expressing strong disapproval.

However Pope Francis described the objections from certain African bishops as stemming from cultural differences, acknowledging the negative perception of homosexuality in many African societies.

Despite the criticism, Pope Francis remains steadfast in his belief in inclusivity within the Church, emphasising the need for understanding and unity amidst differing perspectives.

"Those who protest vehemently belong to small ideological groups" Francis told the Italian daily La Stampa.

Should we write a list of sinners who can enter the church

Emphasising the inclusive nature of the declaration, Pope Francis reiterated the Church's stance on welcoming everyone, stating "We are all sinners: why then should we write a list of sinners who can enter the church and a list of sinners who cannot stay in the church? This is not the Gospel."

Addressing concerns about potential schisms within the Church, the Pope expressed confidence and urged a forward-looking approach, stating "You must let them be, and walk and look ahead."

In a forthcoming interview with the Catholic magazine Credere, Pope Francis highlighted the inconsistency of being scandalised by blessings for homosexual couples while overlooking serious sins in other contexts.

"No one is scandalised if I give my blessing to a businessman who perhaps exploits people, and this is a very serious sin, and they are scandalised if I bless a homosexual… This is hypocrisy" the pontiff said.

While some episcopal conferences globally have welcomed the move to same-sex blessings, conservative factions have denounced it as blasphemous. To mitigate confusion, guidelines were issued, stipulating that blessings for couples in irregular situations should not coincide with civil union ceremonies.

Sources

La Prensa Latina

Religion News Service

The crowd waved rainbow flags and according to media reports, sang "All You Need Is Love" by the Beatles.

The mid-September rites included Catholic priests reciting blessings for same-sex and heterosexual couples and, though held outside of Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki's cathedral, represented a bold ecclesiastical affront to the city's conservative archbishop.

Are these rites "weddings"?

That was a crucial issue raised by five cardinals in "dubia" (Latin for "doubts") questions sent to Pope Francis weeks before the Vatican's global "Synod on Synodality," which opened last week.

The five cardinals requested "yes" or "no" answers.

Instead, the pope offered a detailed analysis in which he restated established Catholic doctrines, noting that "the reality that we call marriage has a unique essential constitution that demands an exclusive name."

Thus, the Church should avoid rites giving the "impression that something that is not marriage is recognised as marriage".

Nevertheless, Pope Francis - writing in July - urged "pastoral charity" in this issue.

Thus, the "defense of objective truth is not the only expression of this charity, which is also made up of kindness, patience, understanding, tenderness, and encouragement.

Therefore, we cannot become judges who only deny, reject, exclude.

"For this reason, pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing … that do not transmit a mistaken conception of marriage.

"For when a blessing is requested, one is expressing a request for help from God, a plea for a better life, a trust in a Father who can help us to live better."

This drew praise from Francis DeBernardo, leader of the New Ways Ministry for Catholics seeking changes in centuries of Christian doctrine on sexuality.

"The allowance for pastoral ministers to bless same-gender couples implies that the Church does indeed recognise that holy love can exist between same-gender couples, and the love of these couples mirrors the love of God," he wrote.

The Pope's declaration represents "an enormous advance. … This statement is one big straw towards breaking the camel's back of the marginalised treatment LGBTQ+ people experience in the Church."

The Vatican's release of these "dubia" documents underlined the importance of the historic global synod - which will address issues in Church life including the ordination of women, the status of LGBTQ+ believers, clerical celibacy and changes for divorced Catholics seeking Holy Communion.

A strategic leader is Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, who until recently led the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union and was the Pope's choice as "relator general" for the synod, shaping official documents produced before and after the two-year process.

In a 2022 interview with the Catholic news agency KDA, he said Catholic teachings on "homosexual relationships as sinful are wrong...

"I believe that the sociological and scientific foundation of this doctrine is no longer correct.

"It is time for a fundamental revision of Church teaching, and the way in which Pope Francis has spoken of homosexuality could lead to a change in doctrine."

That kind of shift would shake centuries of doctrine, noted the "dubia" authors - American Cardinal Raymond Burke, German Cardinal Walter Brandmüller, Mexican Cardinal Sandoval Íñiguez, Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah and Cardinal Joseph Zen, former Bishop of Hong Kong.

Thus, they asked: "Is it possible for the Church today to teach doctrines contrary to those she has previously taught in matters of faith and morals, whether by the Pope ex cathedra, or in the definitions of an Ecumenical Council, or in the ordinary universal magisterium" of bishops around the world?

Pope Francis discussed development in doctrines, and claims of absolute truth, during recent remarks in Lisbon, according to a transcript from the Jesuit journal La Civiltà Cattolica.

He criticised Catholics guilty of "backwardness," including Americans who let "ideologies replace faith" and cause divisions among Catholics.

"I would like to remind those people that indietrismo (being backward-looking) is useless and we need to understand that there is an appropriate evolution in the understanding of matters of faith and morals," he said.

Thus, it's important to accept that "our understanding of the human person changes with time, and our consciousness also deepens.

"The other sciences and their evolution also help the Church in this growth in understanding. The view of Church doctrine as monolithic is erroneous."

• Terry Mattingly leads GetReligion.org and lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He is a senior fellow at the Overby Center at the University of Mississippi.
• First published in Religion Unplugged. Republished with permission.

The protest was sparked by criticism in March directed at a priest from Mettmann, a town near Duesseldorf. He had conducted a "blessing ceremony for lovers," including same-sex couples.

According to the German news agency dpa, the Cologne archdiocese to which Mettmann belongs had reprimanded the priest and emphasised that the Vatican does not permit blessings for same-sex couples.

However the priests blessing same-sex couples on this occasion marked the latest display of a progressive movement within Germany's largest diocese, with approximately 1.8 million members.

Several hundred people gathered for the outdoor blessing service, showing their support for both same-sex and heterosexual couples.

Waving rainbow flags and singing the iconic Beatles hit "All You Need Is Love," approximately 30 couples received blessings.

Light years behind social reality

Germany's LGBTQ+ commissioner, Sven Lehmann, commended the event as a symbol of the ongoing demand for recognition and acceptance of same-sex couples within the Roman Catholic Church.

"It is mainly thanks to the church's grassroots that the church is opening up more and more," Lehmann said. "Archbishop Woelki and the Vatican, on the other hand, are light years behind social reality."

The Cologne archdiocese has been experiencing a crisis of confidence for some time, with many Catholic believers protesting against Archbishop Woelki.

Allegations of covering up clergy sexual abuse reports have driven many to leave the church.

The crisis erupted in 2020 when Woelki, citing legal concerns, withheld a report he had commissioned regarding how local church officials responded to accusations of sexual abuse by priests.

A subsequent report in March 2021 uncovered 75 cases of high-ranking officials neglecting their duties.

This event in Cologne is just one instance of the ongoing tension between progressive German Catholics and the Vatican.

The German Catholic Church initiated a reform process in response to clergy sexual abuse scandals. Still, the Vatican has sought to restrain this reform, particularly concerning issues related to the LGBTQ+ community, women and sexual morals.

While believers celebrated the blessings of same-sex couples, a group of about a dozen Catholics nearby demonstrated against the outdoor service, holding a banner that read, "Let's stay Catholic."

Sources

US News & World Report

CathNews New Zealand

In February, the Church's lawmaking body approved blessings for lesbian and gay couples. The approval was limited to couples who were already married or had a civil partnership.

The landmark vote drew ire from both sides of the Church's same-sex blessings debate.

Progressives say it doesn't go far enough to offer full equality. They point out the Anglican Church still prohibits same-sex marriages.

Conservatives claim Holy Matrimony should be between only a man and a woman.

Several details regarding the February decision were supposed to have been ironed out during the Synod in York held on 7-8 July.

These details included deciding the final wording of the prayers and blessings. Pastoral guidance on whether gay priests can now have civil weddings and whether sexually active couples can be blessed were also on the York agenda.

However, the timetable for finalising these details has been delayed because bishops are "dithering" over finalising the approval, The Telegraph reports.

‘Implementation requires further work'.

The Bishop of Lichfield, Rt Rev Michael Ipgrave (pictured), says "given the emerging necessity for well-considered pastoral reassurance to meet a range of needs, the implementation phase has required further work.

"We recognise the frustration felt by those who were hoping to use the prayers sooner, as well as the uncertainty for couples and ordinands.

"However, it is important that the theological, pastoral and liturgical work promised… is conducted thoroughly and responds to the many questions raised by General Synod and others."

Ipgrave's comments followed written questions submitted by Synod members.

He says February's landmark motion "gave no timetable for the completion of the work".

He adds, however, that "it was hoped to complete the majority of the tasks by July 2023". The draft guidance should be ready by November, he says.

Cost of waiting

"There is a cost to the time taken to make sure we get everything lined up," says Nic Tall, a lay Synod member.

"I've had clergy who have had people wanting to get dates in the diary, which then had to be cancelled.

"And there are other people just waiting…

"There will be others for whom being able to effectively declare their love for their partner in church and before God is deeply important. That's why we want to facilitate this, and it is just being put on hold."

Source

• The Telegraph
• This article has been changed to reflect that it is the Church of England that is delaying the plans to bless same-sex couples. Originally the article said it was the Anglican Church.

They are calling for a complete overhaul of how the global denomination is led.

The primary cause of the rift among Anglican leaders is their differing opinions on homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

Many conservative Anglicans, mostly from Africa and other parts of the global South, believe that Archbishop Justin Welby (pictured) should relinquish his leadership role.

His 'opponents' are unhappy with his support for the Church of England's decision in February to allow the blessings of same-sex relationships.

"This renders his leadership role in the Anglican Communion entirely indefensible," said the statement by the Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon), which met recently in Rwanda.

Gafcon's statement is supported by the leaders of national churches representing most of the world's estimated 100 million Anglicans.

The group is calling for an end to a tradition of more than a century and a half of spiritual leadership by the senior bishop of the Church of England.

Gafcon's statement calls for an urgent reset of the Communion, but offers no specifics about what would replace the current structures or how that would be decided.

Anglican Church de facto split

"They have placed themselves outside the Anglican Communion, which is defined by the place and presence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, even though they don't seem to acknowledge that fact.

"It is surely time for the de facto split to be acknowledged by both those who remain in the historic Communion and those who have now founded their own," said the Rev Andrew Foreshew-Cain, a prominent campaigner for LGBT rights in the Church of England.

"I hope that the pressure from Gafcon doesn't lead to the English bishops backsliding" on same-sex blessings, added Mr Foreshew-Cain.

"I am not confident that our bishops have the moral courage not to throw gay people under the Gafcon bus."

The conflict between traditional and liberal Christians regarding homosexuality is not limited to the Anglican Church but is also evident in other Christian denominations.

This issue has been exacerbated by the growing influence of church leaders in the global South, particularly Africa, where Christianity is expanding while declining in the West.

Last year, conservative members of the United Methodist Church split off to form the Global Methodist Church, with traditional positions on same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBT clergy.

In contrast, last month, German Catholic bishops voted to approve formal blessings for same-sex couples, defying a prohibition from the Vatican.

Sources

Wall Street Journal

Christianity Today

CathNews New Zealand

The move, made by the influential and wealthy German Church, does not align with official Catholic doctrine, which forbids such blessings.

"A local, particular church cannot make a decision like that which involves the discipline of the Universal Church," Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State said on Monday.

"There must certainly be a discussion with Rome and the rest of the Churches in the world … to clarify what are the decisions to make," Parolin said.

In Germany, several congregations and pastors regularly offer blessings to same-sex couples, but the Catholic Church prohibits such blessings, a stance reaffirmed by the Vatican in 2021.

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a statement against such blessings on grounds that God "cannot bless sin" and that it would be "illicit" for a priest to lend any legitimacy to same-sex unions.

The German multi-year consultation, the "Synodal Path" reform process, was launched in 2019 and aimed at giving lay people a stronger voice following the country's clerical sexual abuse crisis.

Despite the Vatican's position, 176 participants in the concluding Synodal Path meeting voted in favour of same-sex blessings, with 14 voting against and 12 abstaining.

Speaking to journalists, Parolin resisted the notion that the German vote was an act of rebellion, saying, "In the Church, there have always been tensions and differing positions."

However, he reiterated the Vatican's position on same-sex couples, saying "the position of Rome is that" referring to the 2021 Vatican statement.

Parolin also noted that the German bishops' vote must be inserted into Pope Francis's broader Synod of Bishops on Synodality, which will conclude in 2024.

Same-sex blessings delayed until 2026

The Vatican has been in discussions with German bishops regarding the Synodal Way for several years,.

Last summer, Pope Francis penned a letter to the German Church cautioning against stoking division over issues such as priestly celibacy, women's priestly ordination and same-sex blessings.

In November, the Vatican attempted to shut down the process altogether during a meeting with several department heads as part of the German bishops' ad limina visit to Rome.

The process went forward regardless.

Cardinal Parolin called it a good sign that the German Church opted to hold off on offering blessings to same-sex couples until 2026.

However, he concluded, "This decision should fit inside the synodal path of the universal church. There it will be decided what developments there will be".

Sources

Crux Now

The Pillar

CathNews New Zealand

The five-page document, "Blessing ceremonies for couples who love each other," was passed by 176 votes for, 14 against, and 12 abstentions at its second reading. The vote formally adopts it as a resolution of the synodal way.

The document calls on bishops to "officially allow blessing ceremonies in their dioceses for couples who love each other but to whom sacramental marriage is not accessible or who do not see themselves at a point of entering into a sacramental marriage."

"This also applies to same-sex couples on the basis of a re-evaluation of homosexuality as a norm variant of human sexuality," it explains.

The German bishops supported the text by 38 votes in favour, 9 against, and 11 abstentions.

Maria 1.0, an organisation that seeks to support traditional Catholic doctrine, tweeted after the vote: "Only nine German bishops vote against a blessing form for homosexual couples. Eleven bishops appear to have no opinion and abstain. Incomprehensible."

The move comes after months of discussions as part of the German Catholic Church's "Synodal Way," a process of reform that aims to address issues such as clerical celibacy, women's roles in the church, and homosexuality.

Document defies the Vatican

However, the document appears to defy a 2021 Vatican declaration that "the Church does not have, and cannot have, the power to bless unions of persons of the same sex".

During the debate, Bishop Gregor Maria Franz Hanke of Eichstätt warned against the proposed move, saying that he hoped "this step is not going to tear us apart the way the Anglican Church finds itself torn apart".

Last month, after the Church of England decided to allow the blessing of same-sex relationships, a dozen leading archbishops, most in the global South, called for a break with that church, the historical progenitor of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

At Friday's debate in Frankfurt, Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen said, to applause from the assembly, "I pay attention to what is happening in Africa, but I expect others to respect what we are doing here as well".

Blessings of same-sex relationships by Catholic priests have been common in Germany for years, with the tolerance of many bishops there, but Friday's vote gives unprecedented official approval to the practice.

Sources

The Pillar

Wall Street Journal

CathNews New Zealand

Decisions made by the Anglican Communion in England apply only to England.

They don't have an international reach, Justin Welby says.

He reminded people of the autonomy of Anglican Provinces, as rumours circulated that same-sex blessings were to be imposed on other parts of the Communion.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, before the opening of the 18th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), he said:

"No Province can bind another Province, tell it what to do. We are not a post-, a neo-colonial entity in that way."

The Anglican Communion Office (ACO) also firmly denied that the Communion's same-sex blessings decision was binding on the rest of the Communion, saying: "This is categorically not true."

Nor was it "a decision for the entire Communion. It wasn't. It was a decision for England only," the ACO said.

Expanding on his initial statement, Welby said: "One bit of the Church of England passing the resolutions that passed last week does not bind anyone at all, not even the Church of England at the moment."

He also spoke of the Provinces' relationship. "We're interdependent. We belong to each other. We're grown-up children."

The ACC vice-chair added: "What it is that brings us together isn't a set of rules. It isn't for us to be busy looking over our shoulder at what our neighbours' state of play is in terms of their relationship with God. It is our relationship with God."

Anglican Communion secretary-general explained that although the Anglican Communion Office is in London, it isn't actually part of the Church of England.

He also pointed out the Archbishop of Canterbury isn't the chair. That person is Dr Paul Kwong, Archbishop Emeritus of Hong Kong.

Source

• Church Times

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has ruled against such blessings.

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ made the comment in response to a question about Belgium's Catholic bishops supporting blessings for unions of same-sex couples — in defiance of the Vatican.

"Frankly, the question does not seem decisive to me," Hollerich told L'Osservatore Romano in an interview also published on Vatican News.

The Vatican's doctrine office clarified in March 2021 that the Church does not have the power to bless the unions of same-sex couples.

Nonetheless, Catholic bishops in Belgium published a text for blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples in their dioceses. The bishops of Flanders also posted a liturgy for celebrating homosexual unions.

Hollerich pointed to the etymology of the Italian words for "to bless" and "to curse": benedire and maledire.

"If we stay with the etymology of ‘bene-dire,' [‘say good'] do you think God could ever ‘dire-male' [say bad] about two people who love each other?" he asked.

"I would be more interested in discussing other aspects of the problem.

"For example: what is the conspicuous growth of homosexual orientation in society driven by? Or why is the percentage of homosexuals in ecclesial institutions higher than in civil society?"

The cardinal specified that he does not think "there is room for a sacramental marriage between persons of the same sex," because same-sex unions lack the procreative character of marriage.

"But that does not mean that their affective relationship has no value," he added.

"Pope Francis often recalls the need for theology to be able to originate and develop from human experience and not remain the fruit of academic elaboration alone.

"Then, so many of our brothers and sisters tell us that, whatever the origin and cause of their sexual orientation, they certainly did not choose it. They are not ‘bad apples.' They are also fruits of creation."

Hollerich said he has a lot of contact with young people in his ministry. "For young people today, the highest value is non-discrimination."

The cardinal recalled an encounter with a woman in her twenties who said she wanted to leave the Church because it does not welcome homosexual couples.

"I asked her, ‘do you feel discriminated against because you are homosexual?'. She replied, ‘No, no! I am not a lesbian, but my closest friend is. I know her suffering, and I don't intend to be part of those who judge her.' That made me think a lot," Hollerich said.

"Everyone is called. No one is excluded: even the divorced and remarried, even homosexuals, everyone. The Kingdom of God is not an exclusive club. It opens its doors to everyone, without discrimination."

Sources

Catholic News Agency

CathNews New Zealand

The move increased pressure on Pope Francis to respond to the Germans' progressive drive, which conservatives have warned could split the worldwide church.

At a meeting in Frankfurt on Friday, German church leaders voted 168 to 28, with five abstentions, to adopt a draft statement on sexuality.

The statement includes a resolution saying, "same-sex partnerships who want to take the risk of an unbreakable common life…should be able to see themselves placed under the blessing of God."

The Rev Burkhard Hose, who has campaigned against the Vatican ban, said the decision was "a milestone in the journey toward a church without discrimination, a church full of respect for the diversity of love and partnerships."

"It's not possible for the bishops to ignore this voting of the majority without losing their authority," he said.

And considering Pope Francis has chosen ‘Listen' as the theme for World Communications Day 2022. This is drawn from Jesus' words in the Gospel of Luke, "Take care, then, how you listen."

The statement said that the search for truth "begins with listening", as does "bearing witness through social communications media."

The Vatican said that Jesus' words are a reminder that in order to listen, Christians need "courage, an open and free heart, without prejudices."

German conservatives greeted the vote with dismay but not surprise.

"It shows that the church in Germany is guided by secular values, and by worldly ideologies," said Annette Florczak of Maria 1.0, an organization dedicated to upholding traditional Catholic doctrine.

"Apparently, the members of the Synodal Path see the church as a democracy where teachings and truth change with a majority vote. It is beyond presumptuous and beyond depressing."

Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg is a prominent critic of the "Synodal Way," a multi-year process bringing together bishops and laypeople to discuss four main topics: the way power is exercised in the Church; sexual morality; the priesthood; and the role of women.

The German bishops' conference initially said that the process would end with a series of "binding" votes. This raised concerns at the Vatican that the resolutions might challenge the Church's teaching and discipline.

Sources

The Wall Street Journal

Catholic World Report

National Catholic Reporter

"Your religion is the first thing they take away from you when you come out of the closet," said Mahler, who was raised Catholic in Bavaria, Germany's largest and traditionally most Catholic state.

"It's as if when you're queer you're not allowed to be religious anymore."

But Mahler was heartened by a campaign led by priests, deacons and laity at 110 Catholic churches to bless same-sex couples, in defiance of a recent statement issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican that such blessings were "not legitimate" and that same-sex unions are "not ordered to the Creator's plan."

The public ceremonies, organized under the motto "#LiebeGewinnt" (German for "#LoveWins"), were open to "all loving couples, regardless whether they are gay, lesbian or straight." Churches across the country hung large rainbow flags and banners from bell towers and balustrades, giving the campaign a festival feel.

Pastor Bernd Mönkebüscher, a priest in the western German town of Hamm who helped initiate the campaign, said "such blessings have been around for a long time, albeit hidden and not public. Which is shameful."

"We wanted to encourage people to celebrate worthy blessing services in many places at the same time, because loving people do not have to hide and because in love they experience their partner as a ‘blessing,' a gift from heaven," he said.

"Most of the church does not understand and does not share the ‘no' from Rome," said Mönkebüscher.

Pastor Jan Korditschke, who held a blessing ceremony at his St. Canisius Church in Berlin, said the injuries that gay, lesbian and other queer believers have suffered because of the church "touched his soul."

He decided St. Canisius would take part to make amends and give his "church a friendly, credible face" among the LGBTQIA+ community.

The service itself, organized with help from the local Jesuit community and attended by over 100 worshippers, was both "touching and exhilarating" for those involved, said Korditschke.

"The evening was so successful precisely because in this service the church — like Jesus — clearly took the side of those who are discriminated against."

More than a sign of certain parishes' progressive stance on same-sex unions, the services were the latest chapter in continuing tensions between the German Catholic Church and Rome. Based on reactions within Germany, which ranged from wholehearted enthusiasm for the blessings to full-throated rebuke, the protest against the CDF's ruling won't be the last.

Defying Rome has been a theme of late in Germany.

In December 2019, the German bishops began a series of conferences known as "the Synodal Way" to debate an assortment of theological and organizational issues.

Sparked by the abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, the Synodal Way has become a catchall for disquiet among German Catholics — including the Vatican's resistance to change concerning the church's relationship with same-sex couples.

The question of blessing same-sex partnerships and a "new vision for sexual morality" will be discussed as part of the Synodal Way conferences, said Mönkebüscher.

In response to the dubium statement and other overtures from Rome, more than 250 theologians have spoken out against the Vatican's negative stance on same-sex unions and 2,600 pastors have committed to continue blessing same-sex couples, according to Mönkebüscher.

Not all Catholics in Germany, however, are pleased.

Mönkebüscher said some parishes that took part in the #LoveWins campaign received anonymous letters and threats from people "who regard homosexuality as a disease and as a sin," he said.

German Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, prefect emeritus of the CDF, called on Pope Francis to "intervene" and "correct clerics who have attempted to bless same-sex unions, or encouraged such attempts."

At St. Canisius and other Berlin churches, protesters gathered outside during the blessing services, with signs that read "God does not bless sin."

Online, the reaction has been even more vociferous.

The far-right protest site "Patriot Petition" rallied German-speaking Catholics in Germany, Austria and Switzerland to sign a petition opposing what they said was an attack on "Western Christian values."

Elsewhere, conservative commentator Birgit Kelle wrote in the German weekly Focus that the blessings illustrated how "the LGBT scene and intersectional feminism have now invaded the church."

Even the reaction from the president of the German Bishops' Conference, or DBK, Bishop Georg Bätzing, who is generally seen as a progressive moderate, was ambivalent.

Although he said he was "not happy" with the Vatican's choice to weigh in on the debate over blessings for same-sex couples, he also said that the #LoveWins initiative was "not a useful sign or a way forward."

The blessings, he said, are "not a suitable tool for political-ecclesial demonstrations or acts of protest."

Bätzing called for more "substantive discussion" and "a reevaluation of homosexual unions and a further development of the church's sexual morality."

Elsewhere, the bishops have shown their ambivalence in the church's relationship with LGBTQ Germans.

Earlier in May, the DBK refused to award the Catholic Children's and Young People's Book Prize to Elisabeth Steinkellner's nominated novel, "Paper Piano," because one of the protagonist's friends is transgender.

And while the #LoveWins campaign is a move in the right direction, said Alexander Görlach, a religion scholar who is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, the church's broader stance on homosexuality is one of many matters that put the church out of step with contemporary European culture.

Even a radical reimagining of sexual morals in the church, he said, cannot stem its disconnect with German society at large and its inevitable decline.

"Since the end of World War II, Catholic Mass attendance has declined," he said. "In the 1990s we still had a Mass attendance of around 20-25%. Now it's down to 10-13%.

"You can do the math on how long there will be religious Catholic life in Germany," said Görlach. "Most people just live their lives and will not be bothered anymore."

Despite his pessimistic outlook, Görlach is watching to see how the German hierarchy responds to the #Love Wins campaign. "It now comes down to the bishops, who need to choose whether they sanction priests" who participated, he said.

"Priests bless elevators and motorway entrances. So there should be a chance to bless human beings that want to express their love for one another," said Görlach.

• Ken Chitwood is an author at Religion News Service.
• First published by RNS. Republished with permission.

Organisers held a day of protest in response to the Vatican's recent declaration that the Church does not have the power to bless same-sex unions.

The ceremonies, known as "Segnungsgottesdienste für Liebende," or "blessing services for lovers," were promoted using the hashtag "#liebegewinnt" ("love wins").

Organisers said that the services were open to all couples, including, and in particular, those of the same sex.

CNA Deutsch reported that ceremonies took place in around 80 cities in Germany and in Zürich, Switzerland's largest city.

Some say this is the latest effort by liberal German Catholics to build a more progressive version of their church.

But Würzburg student pastor Fr. Burkard Hose confirmed in his address during the blessing ceremony that in the past, many people had been blessed "in secret."

"We will continue to do this," he said, adding: "The Church does not have the authority to withhold blessings."

The ceremonies were organised as a response to a statement in March by the Vatican's doctrinal office, approved by Pope Francis, prohibiting blessings of gay relationships on the grounds that God "cannot bless sin."

The Vatican statement, issued with the approval of Pope Francis, sparked protests in the German-speaking Catholic world.

Several bishops expressed support for blessings of same-sex couples, while churches displayed LGBT pride flags. A group of more than 200 theology professors signed a statement criticising the Vatican.

Many German Catholics considered the document as aimed particularly at them.

Since last year, German bishops and laypeople have been holding a national synod that is considering several potential changes to Catholic life. Of particular note is the liberalised teaching on sexuality and the ordination of women.

So far, the blessings have come off without incident, said Klaus Nelissen, one of the campaign organisers. Though one priest in Munich said he received hostile emails before he led a blessing ceremony Sunday afternoon.

The Rev. Wolgang Rothe said the emails threatened him with the "wrath of God" and that one said: "You will die and go immediately to hell."

Four policemen guarded the Munich event in the Church of St. Benedict, in which about 30 couples, about 10 of them gay or lesbian, took part, Father Rothe said. Church employees in robes held up rainbow banners as the priest read from the Gospel.

"It was a great experience, we felt God's blessing," Father Rothe said. "Heavens were open. All people were happy."

The president of the bishops' conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, has said the blessings "are not suitable as an instrument of church-political manifestations or protest actions" but he hasn't threatened disciplinary action.

Sources

Wall St Journal

Catholic News Agency

"I hope with all my heart that there will not be any schism, and I pray for this," Ruini told the Il Foglio newspaper.

His comments come in response to Catholic pastoral workers nationwide planned mass-blessing event in 56 cities on May 10 in defiance of the Vatican ruling.

Ruini, Rome's former Vicar General, and President of the Italian Bishops conference for 16 years says that in 2019 Pope Francis asked German Catholics "to keep a connection with the universal Church".

"These words of the pope offer a standard and a valuable direction," Ruini said.

"I do not deny, therefore, that there is a risk of schism, but I trust that, with God's help, it can be overcome."

"I would like to emphasize the strength of this position: it is not just a question of something that the Church has decided not to do, but of something that the Church cannot do. Consequently, no one in the Church has this power," Ruini said.

However, organizers of the planned mass-blessing hope that same-sex couples across Germany will support their initiative, known as "blessing services for lovers."

The organiser's move comes in response to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that issued a decree banning same-sex blessings justified its position, saying: "God does not bless sin," and calling homosexual unions intrinsically disordered. (See discussion at FlashesInsight.com)

Former Sydney Cardinal, and Vatican finance officer, George Pell also joined the discussion.

Labelling the situation in Germany "ominous" he called on the German bishops to fulfil their duty and to uphold the teachings of Scripture.

"I think that there is a percentage of the German Church that seems to be resolutely heading in the wrong direction," Pell said in an interview with Colm Flynn that aired on EWTN April 27.

"By that, I mean it is quite clear that a liberalised Christianity, whether it is a liberalised Catholicism or Protestantism, in a generation or so merges into agnosticism. … If you adopt the policies of the world and just go along so that they approve, nobody is going to be interested in that."

"The duty of the German bishops is to uphold the teachings of Scripture, to uphold the teachings of the Church. We stand under those teachings. They've got no power to change them - none of us do," said Pell.

The president of the German Bishops' Conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing, has criticized the upcoming Catholic-backed planned mass-blessing initiative saying blessings should not be used as a political statement.

Sources

• CNA
• CNA
• CathNews NZ

The president of the German Bishops' Conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing, has criticized the upcoming Catholic-backed initiative saying blessings should not be used as a political statement.

The blessing service initiative was organised immediately after the Vatican formally said no to same-sex blessings.

Several lay and ordained Catholic leaders in Germany organised the initiative, calling it: "Love wins, blessing service for lovers."

The national day set for May 10 will consist of blessing services for same-sex couples being held throughout the country.

A statement on the event's website says that in response to the Vatican's 'no' to same-sex blessings:

"We will continue to accompany people who enter into a binding partnership in the future and bless their relationship.

"We do not refuse a blessing ceremony. We do this in our responsibility as pastors, who promise people at important moments in their lives the blessings that God alone gives. We respect and value their love, and we also believe that God's blessings are on them."

The initiative's organizers have condemned what they said is "an exclusive and outdated sexual morality" which is being "carried out on the backs of people" and which "undermines our work in pastoral care."

Bätzing, however, says the blessing ceremonies are not "a helpful sign and a further path," for same-sex couples.

In a statement on 28 April, he explained, for the Church blessings hold spiritual significance and therefore should never be used for political ends or as a means of protest.

Blessing ceremonies "have their own theological dignity and pastoral significance" and are therefore "not suitable as an instrument for church political manifestations or protest actions," he said.

At the same time, he stressed that homosexuals - whether individuals or partners - have a place in the Church. "You are welcome to us," he said.

The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which issued the decree banning same-sex blessings justified its position, saying:

"God does not bless sin."

This thumbs down from the Vatican immediately had Catholic faithful and hierarchy divided about whether the response was fair.

Much of that backlash was felt in Germany.

Outside Germany, however, as a direct result of the Vatican decree, 700 - mainly young people - formally left the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Antwerp.

Bishop of Antwerp, Johan Bonny, says the "dramatic" backlash has come from "mainly straight people" who saw the Vatican ruling Responsum as "a step too far".

Furthermore, as many as 2,000 people cancelled their baptismal registrations in the Flemish dioceses in Belgium.

Bonny also hit out at Vatican document's "theological weakness" and failure to reflect the developments in biblical theology, sacramental theology and moral theology.

"It's as if it was written in the time of Pius XII," he said.

But the practical cost of this, is the loss to the faith of Church members, he said.

"That is our responsibility in front of God our Father."

Source

• Crux Now
• The Tablet
• Image: America Magazine