Pope Francis has suggested he would be open to having the
Catholic Church bless same-sex unions.
In 2021, the Vatican decreed that the Catholic Church would
not bless gay marriages because God “cannot bless sin”.
But late Monday, the Vatican published a letter by Pope
Francis addressed to a group of cardinals who asked him for clarity on the
issue.
Though the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PSN, chose to
maintain a dignified silence on the issue, an official of the Catholic
Secretariat of Nigeria, CSN, who chose to remain anonymous, the Pope’s emphasis
on ‘pastoral charity’ suggests a willingness to address the pastoral needs of
same-sex couples and extend understanding and support to them.
However, the Pontiff reiterated that the church only
recognised marriage as a union between a man and a woman, but could open the
door for blessings of individuals in same-sex unions.
The pope said “pastoral charity” required patience and
understanding, adding that priests should not become judges “who only deny,
reject and exclude”.
He said a blessing requested was a plea for God’s help to
live a better life, even in situations that were “not morally acceptable”.
The religious leader said priests should not only treat
people as sinners because they might not fully be at fault for their
situations.
Pope Francis suggested that blessing gay unions should not
become an official rule but should be decided case by case “because the life of
the church runs on channels beyond norms”.
He wrote: “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.
“Only this union can
be called marriage. Other forms of union realise it only in a partial and
analogous way so they cannot be strictly called marriage.
“For this reason, the Church avoids any type of rite or
sacramental that might contradict this conviction and suggest that something
that is not marriage is recognised as marriage.
“However, in our relationships with people, we must not lose
the pastoral charity, which should permeate all our decisions and attitudes.
“The defence 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.
“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.
“For when a blessing is requested, it is expressing a plea
to God for help, a supplication to live better. Although there are situations
that are not morally acceptable from an objective point of view, the same
pastoral charity requires us not to simply treat as sinners other people whose
guilt or responsibility may be mitigated by various factors affecting
subjective accountability.
“Decisions that may be part of pastoral prudence in certain
circumstances should not necessarily become a norm. Not everything that is part
of practical discernment in particular circumstances can be elevated to the
level of a rule.
“Canon law should not and cannot cover everything, as the
life of the Church flows through many channels other than normative ones.”
In 2020, Pope Francis called gay Catholics “children of God”
and gave his endorsement to same-sex civil unions.
Catholic secretariat
aligns with Pope — Official
Reacting to the issue last night, an official from the CSN,
who chose to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the matter, said: “The
Pope’s emphasis on ‘pastoral charity’ suggests a willingness to address the
pastoral needs of same-sex couples and extend understanding and support to
them.”
This, he noted, aligned with Pope Francis’s previous calls
for a more merciful and inclusive church.
Despite the Pope’s compassionate stance, the official was
quick to stress that this did not signify a change in the Church’s traditional
teachings on homosexuality.
“Pope Francis also emphasized that the Catholic Church still
considers same-sex relationships ‘objectively sinful’ and does not recognize
same-sex marriage,” the CSN official clarified.
“The Pope’s role is to guide and interpret Church teachings,
and any potential changes or developments in the Church’s stance on same-sex
relationships would require careful consideration and consultation within the
broader framework of Catholic theology and doctrine.”
The Pope’s nuanced approach to the issue, as interpreted by
the CSN, suggests a shift away from an exclusive focus on denial, rejection,
and exclusion.
We’ll maintain
dignified silence —PFN
Reacting to the Pope’s remarks on same-sex marriage, the
Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, said it would maintain a dignified
silence on the matter.
When contacted, the Administrative Secretary of the PFN,
Pastor Akinwale Akinola said: “You know he (Pope) is a Catholic and every bloc
has its ideology. The PFN will just maintain a dignified silence for now.
”If you remember when the Church of England endorsed
same-sex marriage, there were agreements and disagreement among themselves; the
Anglican Church in Nigeria refused to comment on it.
”The former Anglican Primate of the Church of Nigeria,
Bishop Peter Akinola, was silent on it and did not say anything.”
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