Pope Clarifies Stance on Blessing Homosexual Individuals, Not Unions

Clear Facts

• Pope Francis confirmed in an interview that he approved blessings for individual Catholics regardless of their sexual orientation, but not for same-sex unions.
• His comments were initially misinterpreted as an endorsement of same-sex marriage by the Catholic Church, causing some confusion and backlash among conservative Catholics.
• The Pope continues to articulate the Church’s teaching on marriage as an indissoluble union between a man and a woman, while criticizing governments that criminalize homosexuality.

Pope Francis recently offered clarity on a matter that has prompted substantial speculation and misunderstanding, particularly concerning the Catholic Church’s stance on same-sex couples. In a notable interview, he stressed that what he sanctioned was the blessing of individual Catholics, not same-sex unions.

In response to questions about the apparent shift in Vatican policy, Pope Francis gave a definitive response, “‘No, what I allowed was not to bless the union. That cannot be done because that is not the sacrament. I cannot. The Lord made it that way,” the Pope said, in remarks translated into English. “But to bless each person, yes. The blessing is for everyone. For everyone. To bless a homosexual-type union, however, goes against the given right, against the law of the Church. But to bless each person, why not? The blessing is for all. Some people were scandalized by this. But why? Everyone! Everyone!”‘

Despite the Pope’s firm assertion, his previous decision to authorize blessings for individual Catholics who identified as homosexual led to ambiguity and confusion. Many initially believed it as a signal that the Catholic Church was modifying its longstanding doctrine on marriage, which it reaffirms as an irrevocable union between a man and a woman.

The Pope sought to dispel this misconception in a letter to two conservative cardinals last October. He indicated that such blessings could be granted under certain conditions, as long as those receiving the blessing did not interpret it as a validation of same-sex marriage.

The Pope’s stance inevitably stirred reactions within the Catholic community, leading to contrasting responses. Some gay Catholics interpreted the Pope’s approval of individual blessings as a long-awaited recognition, having felt alienated by Church teachings previously.

However, some opposition was evident, most notably from Catholic bishops worldwide. Traditional Catholics in the U.S. have also expressed criticism of the Pope’s remarks.

In the U.S., the Conference of Catholic Bishops issued guidance in response to the Pope’s remarks. After the release of “Fiducia supplicans,” a document approving pastoral blessings for remarried individuals and people in same-sex relationships under certain conditions, it reasserted: ‘”the Church’s teaching on marriage has not changed.”‘

While the Pope has reiterated the Church’s teachings on marriage, he has also opposed the criminalization of homosexuality by governments worldwide. In his view, homosexuality is not a crime, though it remains a sin according to Church doctrine.

Asked to address criticism from conservative bishops in the U.S., Pope Francis responded: ‘”You used an adjective, ‘conservative.’ That is, conservative is one who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that,” the Pope said. “It is a suicidal attitude. Because one thing is to take tradition into account, to consider situations from the past, but quite another is to be closed up inside a dogmatic box.”‘

Pope Francis, known for his significant public discourses on social issues and his reform efforts regarding the Church’s sexual abuse scandals. Despite the controversy surrounding his remarks on blessing same-sex individuals, Pope Francis continues to steer the Church with his unwavering commitment to upholding its fundamental teachings, while also extending the Church’s blessing to all of its followers.

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