Pope Francis Approves Blessings For Same-Sex Couples In Win For Progressive Catholics

Traditional and conservative Catholics worldwide are stunned and outraged in the wake of another 'victory' for the progressive wing of the church, which clearly more influence at the Vatican, a trend which has been very visible throughout Pope Francis' liberalizing pontificate. 

The Vatican has on Monday issued official approval for Roman Catholic priests and bishops to administer a formal blessing for same-sex couples. 

While the new ruling approves of "the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex" it stipulates that "this blessing should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them."

The document further says that priests should do this on a case-by-case basis and "should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing." Yet it still says that a couple asking for a blessing should not be denied full stop. 

Conservatives fear this just paves the way for eventual approval of rites for gay 'civic unions' and that the Vatican is now on a slippery slope, akin to the ultra progressive path taken by the Episcopal Church starting especially in the 1970s and after.

The New York Times in its commentary on the change has noted this does not mark an alteration of how marriage is understood in the Roman Catholic Church, but still points out it marks a big step in furthering the LGTBQ agenda:

Pope Francis has taken one of the most concrete steps in his efforts to make the Roman Catholic Church more welcoming to L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics by allowing priests to bless couples in same-sex relationships, the Vatican announced on Monday.

Priests have long blessed a wide variety of people, offering a prayer asking for God’s help and presence. The Vatican had long said it could not bless same-sex couples because it would undermine church doctrine that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

The new rule was issued in a declaration by the church’s office on doctrine and introduced by its prefect, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, who said that the declaration did not amend “the traditional doctrine of the church about marriage,” because it allowed no liturgical rite that could be confused with the sacrament of marriage.

But confusion is precisely what's coming, given that the world will very soon behold scenes of large-scale same-sex blessings - which will also likely take on the trappings and ceremonials of weddings (attempts at prohibitions contained in the Vatican document notwithstanding).

Pope Francis enjoys enraging conservative Catholics, it's his favorite hobby, so be like me and expect nothing more from him and you won't ever be unpleasantly disappointed

— Peachy Keenan (@KeenanPeachy) December 18, 2023

As an early case in point, here's a key quote in the NY Times from a well-known 'activist priest':

"This new declaration opens the door to nonliturgical blessings for same-sex couples, something that had been previously off-limits for bishops, priests and deacons," said the Rev. James Martin, a prominent advocate for L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics. "Along with many priests, I will now be delighted to bless my friends in same-sex unions."

German bishops have already long been doing such things, and this move is also being seen by some as an attempt to reign in their actions and find compromise. Controversy had already been raging for years due in large part to these liberal German Catholic bishops. They have bucked official Vatican teaching time and again.

One commentator on religious affairs recently observed of what's really going on: "We have learned through secular experience that the first move is to allow for something but give it a different name, then give it parity, then define it as equally valid or the same thing, then finally make speaking against it illegal." And in an similar vein, a prominent Catholic author and commentator Taylor Marshall has called it "weaponized ambiguity".