[ad_1]
Pope Francis’ annual appointment with members of the Vatican hierarchy came the same week he formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, as long as such blessings don’t give the impression of a marriage ceremony.
The approval, which Pope Francis had hinted at earlier this year, reversed a 2021 policy by the Vatican’s doctrine office, which flat-out barred such blessings on the grounds that God “does not and cannot bless sin”.
The Vatican holds that gay people must be treated with dignity and respect but that sexual relations between people of the same sex is “intrinsically disordered”. Catholic teaching says that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and woman, is part of God’s plan and is intended for the sake of creating new life.
Progressives and advocates for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church hailed Pope Francis’ declaration as a long-overdue gesture of welcome and acceptance. Conservatives and traditionalists have blasted it as contrary to biblical teachings about homosexuality.
Pope Francis did not specifically mention the decision on Thursday. He kept his remarks vague and tied to the biblical story of the birth of Christ.
Citing the teachings of the modernising Second Vatican Council, he urged the assembled prelates to listen to one another, discern decisions and then journey forward, without being tied to preconceived prejudices.
“It takes courage to journey, to move forward,” he said. “Sixty years after the council, we are still debating the division between progressives and conservatives. This isn’t difference. The real difference is between lovers and those who have lost that initial passion.”
The annual greeting is a high-profile event to which all Rome-based cardinals are invited. One conspicuous absence this year was Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who was convicted over the weekend of embezzlement in a big financial trial and sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison. He plans to appeal.
[ad_2]
Source link
