NICOLE WINFIELD
Updated Mon, October 2, 2023
In this Sept. 6, 2018 file photo, Cardinal Raymond Burke applauds during a news conference at the Italian Senate, in Rome. Five conservative cardinals are challenging Pope Francis to affirm Catholic teaching on homosexuality and female ordination. They've asked him to respond ahead of a big Vatican meeting where such hot-button issues are up for debate. The cardinals on Monday published five questions they submitted to Francis, known as “dubia.”
(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has suggested there could be ways to bless same-sex unions, responding to five conservative cardinals who challenged him to affirm church teaching on homosexuality ahead of a big meeting where LGBTQ+ Catholics are on the agenda.
The Vatican on Monday published a letter Francis wrote to the cardinals on July 11 after receiving a list of five questions, or “dubia,” from them a day earlier. In it, Francis suggests that such blessings could be studied if they didn't confuse the blessing with sacramental marriage.
New Ways Ministry, which advocates for LGBTQ+ Catholics, said the letter “significantly advances" efforts to make LGBTQ+ Catholics welcomed in the church and “one big straw towards breaking the camel’s back” in their marginalization.
The Vatican holds that marriage is an indissoluble union between man and woman. As a result, it has long opposed gay marriage. But even Francis has voiced support for civil laws extending legal benefits to same-sex spouses, and Catholic priests in parts of Europe have been blessing same-sex unions without Vatican censure.
Francis’ response to the cardinals, however, marks a reversal from the Vatican’s current official position. In an explanatory note in 2021, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said flat-out that the church couldn’t bless gay unions because “God cannot bless sin.”
In his new letter, Francis reiterated that matrimony is a union between a man and a woman. But responding to the cardinals’ question about homosexual unions and blessings, he said “pastoral charity” requires patience and understanding and that regardless, priests cannot become judges “who only deny, reject and exclude.”
“For this reason, pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of benediction, requested by one or more persons, that do not transmit a mistaken conception of marriage,” he wrote. “Because when a benediction is requested, it is expressing a request for help from God, a plea to be able to live better, a trust in a father who can help us to live better.”
He noted that there are situations that are objectively “not morally acceptable.” But he said the same “pastoral charity” requires that people be treated as sinners who might not be fully at fault for their situations.
Francis added that there is no need for dioceses or bishops conferences to turn such pastoral charity into fixed norms or protocols, saying the issue could be dealt with on a case-by-case basis “because the life of the church runs on channels beyond norms.”
Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, welcomed the pope's openness.
""The allowance for pastoral ministers to bless same-gender couples implies that the church does indeed recognize that holy love can exist between same-gender couples, and the love of these couples mirrors the love of God," he said in a statement. “Those recognitions, while not completely what LGBTQ+ Catholics would want, are an enormous advance towards fuller and more comprehensive equality.”
The five cardinals, all of them conservative prelates from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, had challenged Francis to affirm church teaching on gays, women’s ordination, the authority of the pope and other issues in their letter.
They published the material two days before the start of a major three-week synod, or meeting, at the Vatican at which LGBTQ+ Catholics and their place in the church are on the agenda.
The signatories were some of Francis’ most vocal critics, all of them retired and of the more doctrinaire generation of cardinals appointed by St. John Paul II or Pope Benedict XVI.
They were Cardinals Walter Brandmueller of Germany, a former Vatican historian; Raymond Burke of the United States, whom Francis axed as head of the Vatican supreme court; Juan Sandoval of Mexico, the retired archbishop of Guadalajara; Robert Sarah of Guinea, the retired head of the Vatican’s liturgy office; and Joseph Zen, the retired archbishop of Hong Kong.
Brandmueller and Burke were among four signatories of a previous round of “dubia” to Francis in 2016 following his controversial opening to letting divorced and civilly remarried couples receive Communion. Then, the cardinals were concerned that Francis’ position violated church teaching on the indissolubility of marriage. Francis never responded to their questions, and two of their co-signatories subsequently died.
Francis did respond this time around. The cardinals didn’t publish his reply, but they apparently found it so unsatisfactory that they reformulated their five questions, submitted them to him again and asked him to simply respond with a yes or no. When he didn’t, the cardinals decided to make the texts public and issue a “notification” warning to the faithful.
The Vatican’s doctrine office published his reply to them a few hours later, though it did so without his introduction in which he urged the cardinals to not be afraid of the synod.
Pope Francis open to blessings for same-sex couples, not women priests
Sheri Walsh
Mon, October 2, 2023
Pope Francis has revealed he is open to Catholic blessings for same-sex couples, as he reaffirmed the Church’s ban on women priests, in answers to critical questions ahead of a major Vatican meeting this week. File Photo by Giuseppe Lami/EPA-EFE
Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Pope Francis has revealed he is open to Catholic blessings for same-sex couples, as he reaffirmed the Church's ban on women priests, in answers to critical questions ahead of a major Vatican meeting this week.
The pope's eight-page reply, released by the Vatican on Monday, shows his responses to five retired conservative Catholic cardinals who have expressed concerns about a number of controversial issues expected to be addressed at the Synod of Bishops, which runs from Oct. 4 to Oct. 29.
While none of the pope's responses were absolute, he did express an openness to blessing some same-sex unions as long as it is done without the sacrament of marriage.
"The Church has a very clear concept on marriage: An exclusive, stable and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to begetting children," Francis wrote in the letter dated Sept. 25.
"Only this union is called 'marriage.' Other forms of union are only realized 'in a partial and analogous way,' which is why they cannot strictly be called marriage,'" the pope added.
"Consequently, we cannot become judges who only reject, deny and exclude," Francis said. "Pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or several people, that do not transmit a mistaken concept of marriage."
The pope also answered questions about the possibility of women priests in the Catholic Church, replying "no" while "definitively" affirming St. Pope John Paul II's ban in 1994 of "the impossibility of conferring priestly ordination to women."
Francis said John Paul "was in no way denigrating women and conferring supreme power on men," as he offered the possibility of further study.
As Pope Francis faces societal pressure to push boundaries in the church, he argued that culture does not necessarily mean that divine revelation should also be reinterpreted.
"Depends on the meaning you give the word 'reinterpret.' If it is understood as 'interpret better,' the expression is valid," Francis wrote.
"Cultural changes and new historical challenges do not modify revelation, but they can stimulate us to make more explicit some aspects of its overflowing wealth that always offers more."
Pope Francis's Stance on LGBTQ+ People Challenged by Group of Five Cardinals
Donald Padgett
Mon, October 2, 2023
A group of cardinals has asked Pope Francis to clarify the Catholic Church’s official position on LGBTQ+ inclusion and other issues ahead of an important meeting or synod taking place behind closed doors at the Vatican this month.
The cardinals submitted the five questions or ‘dubia’ ahead of the Synod of Synodality, the weeks-long meeting which will discuss the church’s policies, teachings, and beliefs in a culturally changing world. The questions seek a yes or no response to questions relating to marriage equality and same-sex unions, women in the priesthood, and who is the ultimate worldly authority of the Catholic Church.
The five cardinals who signed the dubia – German Cardinal Walter Brandmüller, 94, American Cardinal Raymond Burke, 75, Chinese Cardinal Zen Ze-Kiun, 90, and Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, 78 – explained their intent in a “Notification to Christ’s Faithful” released today. The group said they had earlier asked the Pope for clarification in light of the agenda for the upcoming synod, but that the responses did not provide definitive answers. The group resubmitted the questions in a yes or no format.
“Given the gravity of the matter of the dubia, especially in view of the imminent session of the Synod of Bishops, we judge it our duty to inform you, the faithful, so that you may not be subject to confusion, error, and discouragement but rather may pray for the universal Church and, in particular, the Roman Pontiff, that the Gospel may be taught ever more clearly and followed ever more faithfully,” the cardinals wrote in the notification.
In its second question or dubium, the dubia specifically asks whether “accepting as a ‘possible good’ objectively sinful situations, such as same-sex unions” betrays the “revealed doctrine” of the Church. The fourth dubium asks whether the Church’s ban on women priests is still viable. The final question asks to clarify the limits of forgiveness, including for matters such as sex outside marriage and same-sex sex acts. Current doctrine teaches that both are considered grave sins.
Some have noted the cardinals are composed of individuals who have lost favor or no longer occupy positions of authority within the church. Burke was removed as head of the Vatican supreme courts by Pope Francis, Brandmueller is a former Vatican historian, and the others have retired from various positions.
Pope Francis opens possibility for blessing same-sex unions
KIARA ALFONSECA and PHOEBE NATANSON
Mon, October 2, 2023
Pope Francis opens possibility for blessing same-sex unions
Pope Francis suggested it may be possible to bless same-sex unions in a newly public response to cardinals who questioned the pope's affirmation of the LGBTQ community in the Catholic Church.
In the July letter, which is written in Spanish, he reaffirmed that "the Church has a very clear understanding of marriage: an exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to procreation," according to the Vatican News.
However, he advocated for "pastoral charity."
"The defense of objective truth is not the only expression of this charity; it also includes kindness, patience, understanding, tenderness and encouragement. Therefore, we cannot be judges who only deny, reject and exclude," he said, according to Vatican News. He added that "pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or more persons, that do not convey a mistaken concept of marriage."
New Ways Ministry, an LGBTQ Catholic outreach group, said in a statement that though his statement are not "a full-fledged, ringing endorsement of blessing their unions," it is a significant advancement in the inclusion of LGBTQ Catholics in the Church.
In August, Pope Francis called on the hundreds of thousands gathered before him to yell that the Catholic Church is for "todos, todos, todos" -- everyone, everyone, everyone.
When asked if "todos" included the LGBTQ community, he said that though the Church has its laws, it is still a place for everyone, including the LGBTQ community.
Pope Francis has also criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality.
News of the Pope’s comments come two days before the start of a major three-week meeting at the Vatican to discuss the state of the Catholic Church and its future. The three-week synod, or meeting, starts at the Vatican on Wednesday, Oct. 4 and will run until Oct. 29.
During this period, more than 450 people from around the world -- cardinals, bishops, clergy, religious and laypeople -- will take part in the worldwide gathering.
The meeting will address some hot-button issues like the role of women in the church and the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community. A number of advocacy groups are expected to come to Rome and the Vatican to gain attention for their cause throughout the synod. These groups represent issues such as ending clergy abuse, the women's ordination conference and more.
Some Church watchers are calling this Synod on Synodality a historical event, while some conservative church leaders and commentators have speculated that the gathering could cause harm to the Church and undermine Catholic teaching.
The synod will begin with a mass with new cardinals in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Wednesday.
LGBTQ advocates applauded the decision.
“Pope Francis' response is both unprecedented and compassionate and continues to urge every Catholic and leader toward acceptance and recognition of LGBTQ people," said Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD President and CEO.
New Ways Ministry, an LGBTQ Catholic outreach group, said in a statement that though his statement are not "a full-fledged, ringing endorsement of blessing their unions," it is a significant advancement in the inclusion of LGBTQ Catholics in the Church.
In August, Pope Francis called on the hundreds of thousands gathered before him to yell that the Catholic Church is for "todos, todos, todos" -- everyone, everyone, everyone.
When asked if "todos" included the LGBTQ community, he said that though the Church has its laws, it is still a place for everyone, including the LGBTQ community.
Pope Francis has also criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality.
71% of all Americans support marriage equality for LGBTQ people, which is at an all-time high, according to a Gallup poll -- this includes 41% of weekly churchgoers.
abcnews.go.com
Pope Francis suggests for first time some people in same-sex unions could be blessed
Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN
Mon, October 2, 2023
Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images/FILE
Pope Francis has suggested for the first time that people in same-sex unions could be blessed by Catholic priests on a “case-by-case” basis, a seeming reversal of previous statements.
The Pope made the suggestion in a letter to his harshest critics within the Catholic ranks, written in response to a letter from five conservative cardinals with formal questions – called a “dubia” (Latin for “doubt”) – which is an official request for a yes or no answer from a sitting pontiff regarding his running of the Church.
The cardinals, Walter Brandmuller, Raymond Leo Burke, Juan Sandoval Iniguez, Robert Sarah and Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, first sent the letter to Pope Francis on July 10. It focused on an upcoming October meeting of bishops, asking what impact it could have on Church’s teaching, and included questions about the Pope’s intention to bless same-sex unions, and whether he intends to open the door to women priests through ordination.
Unsatisfied with the Pope’s initial response, according to a blog post by American Cardinal Raymond Burke, the five cardinals reworded the “dubia” letter and sent it again on August 21, citing “the gravity of the matter,” according to Burke.
The Vatican then released a letter in Spanish dated September 25 signed by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, the Vatican’s new chief of doctrine. The response includes Pope Francis’ answers to the dubia, signed “Francis.”
On the issue of homosexual unions, the pontiff reiterated that the church only recognizes marriage as a union between a man and a woman, but opened the door for blessings of individuals in same-sex unions, the letter shows.
“When you ask for a blessing, you are expressing a request for help from God, a prayer to be able to live better, a trust in a father who can help us live better,” the Pope wrote, adding that a clergy must show “pastoral prudence must adequately discern if there are forms of blessing, requested by one or various people, which do not convey a wrong concept of marriage.”
The Pope’s response appears to contradict his statement in March, when he said the Church could not bless same-sex unions, because they could “not bless sin.”
The latest development appears to be a nod to a decision made by the German Church in March and carried out in August, in which same-sex unions received a Catholic blessing by several priests in the city of Cologne.
On the issue of women’s ordination, the pontiff was clear that he upheld the words of the late Pope John Paul II, who said in 1994 that the (Catholic) Church had “no authority” to ordain women, but said that the issue needed to be studied in order to educate those who doubt it, the letter said.
“If is not understood and the practical consequences of these distinctions are not drawn, it will be difficult to accept that the priesthood is reserved only for men and we will not be able to recognize the rights of women or the need for them to participate, in various ways, in the leadership of the Church,” the Pope added.
On the issue of the impact the upcoming meeting of Catholic bishops may have on the church’s teaching, Pope Francis was vaguer, writing, “Both the hierarchy, and the entire People of God in different ways and at different levels can make their voice heard and feel like part of the Church’s journey. In this sense we can say that yes, synodality, as style and dynamism, is an essential dimension of the life of the Church.”
He also added that attempts to “sacralize or impose a certain synodal methodology that pleases one group, transforming it into a norm and an obligatory path for everyone, because this would only lead to ‘freezing’ the synodal path.”
The upcoming Synod in Rome has been met with skepticism by the conservative corners of the Church who have expressed concern both that women will have a voice, and that the Church’s teaching is not carried out by consensus.
John Allen in Rome contributed reporting
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