Blessing of homosexual couples: the Vatican “capitulates”

Would ”the South” be showing us the North ?

Jan 28, 2024

African bishops at the forefront of resistance to controversial document “Fiducia Supplicans”

BY JAMES BARESEL, January 25, 2024

Just weeks after releasing a controversial document addressing the blessing of same-sex couples – “Fiducia Supplicans” – on December 18, 2023, the Vatican capitulated to growing global opposition.

The Vatican has approved a document published by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SEEAM), according to which such blessings will not be given anywhere in Africa.

The African bishops' document, titled "No Blessing for Same-Sex Couples in African Churches: Summary of African Bishops' Conferences' Responses to the Fiducia Supplicans Declaration," was released on January 11, 2024, and begins by noting that the African bishops' statement Vatican "caused a shock wave", "sowed misconceptions and unrest in the minds of many lay faithful, consecrated persons [members of religious orders] and even pastors" and "aroused strong reactions ".

The document takes advantage of the publication of “Fiducia Supplicans” to repudiate its spirit.

What the Fiducia Supplicans strictly says boils down to the idea that if a couple asks for a blessing for what the Church considers a good motive – for example, if they have been seriously injured in a car accident car and ask God to help them get well – they can receive it, regardless of whether they are in a relationship the Church disapproves of.

The wording suggests a lenient view of same-sex unions.

Moreover, “Fiducia Supplicans” is, in some way, the culmination of a move by Pope Francis to put into practice a policy suggested by his ally, Cardinal Walter Kasper, during a consistory of the full College of Cardinals. in February 2014: that of “tolerating” deviations from Catholic sexual morality in practice without theoretically “approving” them.

Eight months after the cardinals rejected Cardinal Kasper's view at the consistory, he and the pope attempted to have it accepted by a synod of bishops putatively focused on the "pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelization.”

Faced with strong opposition from synod bishops, Cardinal Kasper told journalist Edward Pentin that African bishops maintain a "taboo" on homosexual unions and that, therefore, they "should not tell us too much what we should do ". This sparked further criticism from the African episcopate, which deepened when an audio recording of Cardinal Kasper's remarks was made public, although he had claimed that the information published on the subject was false.

A similar approach continued with the Synod on Vatican Synodality in 2023.

Pope Francis notably appointed two cardinals lenient with regard to homosexual unions, Jean-Claude Hollerich and Mario Grech, to the important positions of general rapporteur and deputy general secretary.

A change in the synod's rules allows lay Catholics (largely appointed by the pope) to participate and vote after bishops' conferences around the world largely elected as representatives to the synod men committed to traditional Catholic morality.

High-profile support for leading activists advocating the Church's acceptance of same-sex relationships

Although there are few records of the synod's discussions – given the requirement for secrecy – participants revealed sharp disagreements and considerable opposition to leniency for same-sex couples.

Bishops around the world immediately understood that the “Fiducia Supplicans” aimed to achieve what the synod could not, through the use of ambiguous language and subtle technicalities.

According to Peter Kwasnieski, a theologian and philosopher who has taught at the International Theological Institute, Franciscan University, and Wyoming Catholic College, and author of two dozen books, this is "clearly too big a leap to take." for very many Catholics", whether they are usually considered "traditionalists" or "conservatives".

The result is a widespread repudiation of “Fiducia Supplicans” by Catholic prelates, forcing the Vatican to back down, to the point where, according to Mr. Kwasniewski, “all the Vatican has done since December 18 is damage control,” with “Cardinal Fernandez [at the origin of the publication of “Fiducia Supplicans” as prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF)] is giving up more and more ground.”

First, Cardinal Fernandez gave an interview on December 23, and issued an official statement on January 4.

Each attempt at appeasement has encountered increasingly strong resistance from new bishops in episcopal conferences and dioceses displaying their discordance.

The day Cardinal Fernandez issued his statement, an entire province of bishops in France asked priests to refrain from giving a joint blessing to same-sex couples, suggesting that each member of the couple could receive an individual blessing, thus underscoring that their relationship is neither accepted nor sanctioned by the Church.

On January 6, the growing opposition was supported by one of the most powerful voices in the Catholic Church, that of Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, who served for seven years as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship of the Vatican, after being appointed to this position by Pope Francis himself in 2014.

Two days later, Cardinal Fernandez found himself in turmoil again when it was revealed that he had previously published a book titled "The Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality," criticized as borderline pornography.

On January 11, Pope Francis and Cardinal Fernandez gave their full approval to the SECAM document, in which, according to Mr. Kwasniewski, African bishops are being “as diplomatic as possible” while “resolutely putting aside the Fiducia Supplicans.”

The SECAM document demolishes the 'gay-friendly' tendencies of "Fiducia Supplicans", stating unequivocally that it is a duty to remind homosexuals that "unions of persons of the same sex are contrary to the will of God and that 'they therefore cannot receive the blessing of the Church', as the Bible considers such relationships an abomination so grave that it may even 'lead to the destruction of the city [Sodom]', while adding two more crucial points.

The first is that “Fiducia Supplicans (…) does not aim to impose blessings for (…) same-sex couples”, and that it “makes these blessings possible but without imposing them”.

However, a notable, if limited, minority of Catholic bishops worldwide take strong "pro-homosexual" positions.

The Vatican's approval of a document stating that the granting of such a blessing cannot be imposed provides perfect grounds for priests subject to these bishops to refuse to give it.

The other point gets to the heart of the problem by insisting that: “The language of Fiducia Supplicans remains too subtle to be understood by simple people. »

Since the aim was to create subtle confusion, the Vatican's approval of the SECAM document meant ensuring the "acceptance" of the "Fiducia Supplicans" on the condition that it was reduced to something insignificant, all to keep up appearances.

“Fiducia Supplicans” may still give priests who wish to bless same-sex couples the cover and assurance of Vatican support they need to do so with relative impunity and strengthens the position of the handful of bishops in episcopal conferences. and dioceses which have taken a position in favor of homosexuals.

It has even been announced that such blessings will be allowed in St. Peter's Basilica.

However, the Vatican effectively admitted that its own weakness, limited support and widespread opposition made the application of the "Fiducia Supplicans" impossible.

James Baresel holds a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

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