Belgian proposal to bless same-sex unions goes against Holy See norm, Vatican says

The proposal to bless homosexual couples put forward by the Flemish bishops "was not presented to the Vatican beforehand" and is contrary to a directive of the Holy See, according to the Vatican's official newspaper, Vatican News.

"With this measure, the Flemish bishops, among them Cardinal Jozef de Kesel, oppose a directive of the Holy See," reads the article, which lists the liturgy published by the Catholic bishops of Flanders that can be used for the ecclesiastical blessing of homosexual couples.

In February 2021, the Vatican banned any ecclesiastical blessing of homosexual couples, as well as any rite comparable to marriage between a man and a woman. "God does not bless sin," the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith noted in a document at the time.

The Flemish bishops are the first in the Church to explicitly give the green light to the ecclesiastical blessing of homosexual couples, with a document that, according to the Vatican, is in open opposition to the one published by the Holy See's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The official Vatican media cites the information published on the official website of the Belgian Bishops' Conference, where the blessing of the union of same-sex couples is contemplated and it is established that, in each diocese, there will be a person dedicated to the pastoral care of homosexual persons. However, the Belgian prelates specify that this blessing will be clearly differentiated from sacramental marriage.

"During pastoral meetings, people often ask for a moment of prayer to ask God to bless and perpetuate this commitment of love and fidelity," the Belgian Episcopal Conference points out in the document entitled 'Homosexual persons are pastorally close. For a hospitable Church, which excludes no one'.

However, they point out that this moment of prayer can be simple and that "the difference with what the Church understands as sacramental marriage must be clear". The Flemish bishops will travel to Rome next week for the usual 'ad limina' visit, which includes private meetings with the Pope.