“Not the union, but the people.
» Pope Francis defended this Friday the Vatican's recent authorization of blessings for same-sex couples, while trying to appease virulent criticism within the Catholic Church itself.
In a document published in December, the Vatican authorized the blessing of “irregular” couples in the eyes of the Church, including remarried couples and same-sex couples, on the condition that it be carried out outside liturgical rituals.
Entitled “Fiducia supplicans” (“Pleading trust”), this document provoked an outcry among certain conservative prelates, particularly in Africa where homosexuality is still illegal in many countries.
Also read: Blessing of homosexual couples: “A few days before Christmas, it’s a beautiful signal”
“These blessings (…) do not require moral perfection to be received,” Pope Francis said on Friday during a speech to members of the dicastery (ministry) for the Doctrine of the Faith.
“When a couple requests it, we do not bless the union, but simply the people who asked for it together,” he stressed.
Critics particularly regretted the “confusion” caused by the document in the Church, which considers homosexuality to be a sin.
The Argentine pope also stressed the importance of “taking into account the context, the sensitivity, the places in which we live and the most suitable means to do so”.
Strong resistance from the Church
On January 14, in an interview on Italian television, Francis had already defended his text by affirming that “the Lord blesses everyone”.
At the beginning of January, the prefect of the dicastery, Argentine Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, tried to calm things down by emphasizing the need to take into account “the delicate situation of certain countries”.
But the revolt has manifested itself at the highest level of the Church, the Guinean cardinal Robert Sarah, an influential figure in the conservative camp, denouncing a “heresy”, while the Chinese cardinal Joseph Zen, 92, called for departure of Mgr Fernandez.
Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has insisted on the importance of a Church open to all, including LGBT+ faithful, but his efforts have encountered strong resistance.