The same-sex marriage can now be blessed by Roman Catholic bishops in Flanders, in blatant contravention of the Vatican’s doctrinal office’s prohibition on such acts.
The paper posted on the website of the Belgian Bishops’ Conference proposed a rite that included a blessing and a prayer for healthy same-sex relationships. It was emphasised, however, that it was not ‘what the Church means by a sacramental marriage.’
According to the statement, the Church aspires to be ‘welcoming Church that excludes no one’ and to be ‘pastorally close to LGBT persons.’
The rite would begin with prayers and feature the two persons promising to be faithful to one another in front of family and friends. More prayer and what the document referred to as a ‘benediction’ would conclude it.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), the Vatican’s doctrinal body, issued a ruling in March 2021 rejecting the practise of blessing same-sex unions in response to formal inquiries from a number of Roman Catholic dioceses.
The CDF stated at the time that its decision was “not intended to be a form of unfair discrimination, but rather a reminder of the truth of the liturgical ritual” of the sacrament of marriage and the blessing connected to it.
Bishop John Bonny of Antwerp apologised to individuals he said had been wounded by the “sad and inexplicable” decision and that he felt “shame for my Church” in response to that ruling.
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