Vatican authorises blessings for same-sex couples
Pope Francis has decreed that in addition to marriages between a man and a woman, Roman Catholic priests may also administer blessings to same-sex couples in future - albeit without explicitly approving their status. Rome had categorically ruled this out in 2021, despite Francis having eluded to such a move. Media from countries with large Catholic populations react very positively to the news.
Most believers have long thought this way
This move will do much to make Catholicism more inclusive and welcoming, The Irish Times applauds:
“It marks a dramatic and welcome - if overdue - shift towards acknowledging the place of LGBTQ Catholics in the church. Monday's declaration echoes the less-judgmental stance that has been the hallmark of the Pope's reforming papacy. ... The ruling will be welcomed by Irish Catholics, who overwhelmingly endorse same sex marriage. Many will hope that, following the recent Synod, it is just one more step down a reforming path towards building a more inclusive and welcoming church.”
A big day for the integration of LGBT Catholics
Público columnist Carmo Afonso sees the decision as ground-breaking:
“This is a giant step in a direction that many have been waiting for and that has been a long time coming. I'm talking about the full inclusion of LGBT Catholics in the Church. ... While many prefer to downplay the significance of this advance, others say it doesn't concern them. The argument is: I don't care if an outdated institution affirms my identity or my choices. But the fact is that for many LGBT people this is a fundamental issue. They are Catholics, and this process opens up the possibility of their being fully accepted into the community. How could we be indifferent to that?”
His will be done
Malta Today is delighted with what it describes as a big step towards acceptance:
“One can only hope that the Maltese Church fully embraces these guidelines and the spirit that underpins them. ... In Biblical tradition, God may have created a man and a woman to go forth and have children, but he also created a diversity of people along the way. It is only patriarchal arrogance over the millennia that has interpreted God's will in such a way that stifles human diversity and the relationships that may be borne out of it. For how can a God of love exclude two men who have harmed nobody and whose only 'sin' is loving each other?”
Hypocritical PR stunt
Matt Cain, a leading commentator on LGBTQ+ issues, voices outrage in The Guardian:
“Well, you can stick your blessing, Pope Francis. It's a fig leaf, a PR exercise, a means of laundering your prejudice to make it seem like a step towards acceptance. ... Most religions haven't moved on at the same pace as society at large. And with this latest news, Catholicism is still lagging far behind. Now, it grudgingly offers to 'bless' unions that it explicitly cannot 'approve' of. It's almost hilariously hypocritical. I'm angry about it. ... So nice try, Pope Francis. But nothing less than equality will work for me.”
A major balancing act for Pope Francis
We should not be too quick to dismiss the initiative as inadequate, Der Standard stresses:
“Nor should it be viewed solely against a European - or Western - background. Catholicism is a world religion that is attracting more and more believers in the Global South, while their numbers are inexorably declining in the countries of the North. In poorer regions, the Vatican's increased tolerance vis-à-vis homosexuals could improve the overall situation for them - while here in Austria it may appear inadequate. This also shows how great a balancing act this is for Pope Francis in terms of content.”
Tentative signs of change
Commenting on Tvnet, communications expert Sandra Veinberga sees hopeful signals:
“These statements by the Pope send the message that the time for change has come. ... One could argue that there has been almost no change, because all that is being said is that it is not forbidden to bless people in same-sex relationships in the same way as any other believer. ... Perhaps Pope Francis has now consistently focused on concrete human situations and is thus pointing in a direction that will improve the acceptance of sexual minorities in the Catholic Church. ... Not by changing views on marriage but by taking steps towards an alternative 'blessed' form of relationship between homosexual people and their church.”
Now anything is possible
The Pope won't get much gratitude for this move, Die Welt surmises:
“On the contrary, the protests from large sections of the global Church, in the US, in Africa and not least in Rome itself, will be robust. It will be said that he has betrayed the Church, that he has sacrificed time-honoured convictions at the altar of the zeitgeist. But Pope Francis, who turned 87 on the weekend and is clearly struggling with health problems, no longer takes such things into consideration. It's as if he senses that he doesn't have much time left to give his pontificate sharper contours, beyond mere announcements. One wonders what else he has in store? Since Monday anything is suddenly possible once more.”
Embarrassing attempts at ingratiation
For The Spectator, the blessing of homosexual couples is an affront to the faithful:
“We are led by a man ... who chases the zeitgeist, in the process alienating the dwindling band of people who have stuck with the Church through scandals and pandemics because they thought it stood unreservedly for the Truth. ... If only Francis had focused all his energy on the poor and marginalised, his papacy might be remembered with fondness. Instead, by constantly banging on about politics and vandalising tradition, he distracts from the harder, greater work of getting on with being a Christian - of rolling up your sleeves and loving. His profession of open-mindedness has spelt indulgent self-examination.”