Roman Catholic Clergy Rebels Against Vatican’s Ban on Same-Sex Blessings

This month, Jill and Eli, who have been together for two years, have received a Roman Catholic blessing of their relationship in Zurich, Switzerland. Jill described the importance of the blessing as an acceptance that “the way in which we live is OK, that we can be part of the Church and keep advancing our relationship. We can do both because God loves us”.

The move by the Roman Catholic clergy is extraordinary when only last month the Vatican clarified its position on non cis-heterosexual marriages. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) declared that the Catholic Church does not have the power to bless same-sex unions due to marriage being a sacrament between a man and a woman.

“For this reason, it is not licit to impart a blessing on relationships, or partnerships, even stable, that involve sexual activity outside of marriage (that is, outside the indissoluble union of a man and a woman open in itself to the transmission of life), as is the case of the unions between persons of the same sex, the CDF told BBC News. The CDF did stress that there are “positive elements” in same-sex relationships.

The move was met with a furor of condemnation from around the world. People moved to social media to post messages of support and love, with, amongst others, the husband of 2020 US presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg posting a picture of them together saying that love is love, gay marriage legal, and that the Pope is not your county clerk.

The backlash also resonated within the Catholic community, with progressive Catholics expressing their concern and German and Swiss Priests performing private and public blessings to same-sex couples as of Monday. Thousands have signed a petition calling on the Church to include same-sex couples and Churches flying the rainbow flag. In Belgium, the Bishop of Antwerp publicly apologised for the Vatican’s veto, a move met with great joy and prompted the clergy to continue blessing same-sex unions.

Eight years ago, in 2013, Pope Francis himself asked the question of who was he to judge gay people. Last year, the head of the Catholic Church said that “homosexual people have a right to be in a family”, are “children of God” and that “nobody should be thrown out or made miserable over it”.

Back in Zurich, Meinrad Furrer, the clergy blessing the relationship of Jill and Eli, said that “gay people have been criticised for centuries. Today, I want to send another signal to show that we are here also for these people and that we take them into our community”. The Parish of Zurich has called for dialogue and affirms that the Catholic Church should not be stuck in time. “That what defines a true catholic is not based on unchangeable rules, the rules have always changed with their times based on science and forms of living. This is the same thing”.

Read related myGwork articles here:

Catholic Leaders Organise Mass Blessing Of Same-Sex Unions In Protest At Vatican

Catholic Church Cannot Bless Same-Sex Unions, Vatican Decrees

Pope Francis Endorses Civil Union Laws For Same Sex Couples

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