Pope Francis has approved same-sex blessings.
I am not shocked.
After all, the German Bishops who approved same-sex blessings earlier this year were never formally disciplined as I reported a few weeks ago.
Will this cause schism in the Roman Catholic organization (previously known as a church)?
From Fox News,
Same-sex couples can now be blessed by Catholic priests, following formal approval from Pope Francis.
A new document explaining the change in Vatican policy was released Monday, saying that "people seeking God's love and mercy shouldn't be subject to ‘an exhaustive moral analysis’ to receive it," The Associated Press reported.
Francis sent a letter to two conservative cardinals in October, suggesting that such blessings could be offered under some circumstances if those receiving the blessing did not confuse the ritual with the sacrament of marriage.
The church stands firm in its stance that marriage is a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman, and that blessings should not be given at the same time as a civil union, using set rituals or even with other actions or clothing related to weddings.
The document from the Vatican’s doctrine office says requests for such blessings should not be denied.
"Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God," the document said. "The request for a blessing, thus, expresses and nurtures openness to the transcendence, mercy, and closeness to God in a thousand concrete circumstances of life, which is no small thing in the world in which we live."
"It is a seed of the Holy Spirit that must be nurtured, not hindered," the pope added.
In the new document, the Vatican said the church must shy away from "doctrinal or disciplinary schemes, especially when they lead to a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism whereby instead of evangelizing, one analyzes and classifies others, and instead of opening the door to grace, one exhausts his or her energies in inspecting and verifying."
It stressed that people in "irregular" unions — gay or straight — are in a state of sin. However, it said that should not deprive them of God’s love or mercy.
"Thus, when people ask for a blessing, an exhaustive moral analysis should not be placed as a precondition for conferring it," the document said.
Conservative R.C. bishops beware. This appears to be a mandate (no pun intended) from Francis.
Maybe we will go back to the time when there were two Popes.
Perhaps now is the time for such bishops and people to swim the Tiber in the opposite direction (hint, hint Gavin Ashenden and Michael Nazir Ali).
Swim over to ACNA people.
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I would second your suggestion that former Anglican Catholics in this country join the ACNA, except that, alas, some dioceses in the ACNA, perhaps a majority, ordain women to the priesthood. Also, several GAFCON provinces are also now ordaining female priests. This must be addressed. Either we are part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church, or we aren't. I don't think the AMiE (Europe) is addressing this problem. There is an existing group in England, the Free Church of England, which is allied with the REC in the US. For reasons which don't seem to me to be entirely theological, English conservatives don't consider them.
ReplyDeleteThe problem of W.O. was the biggest issue that ACNA at its founding failed to adequately address. Roman Catholics looking for a new church home would probably not feel steer clear of a parish with a female priest.
ReplyDeleteIt takes courage to shake the dust from your feet, but that is just what Jesus tells us to do.
It's not only Catholics. We are considering selling our one acre and 3700 sq. ft. and moving someplace smaller and closer to children. Where to worship is a serious part of the decision. In a couple of dioceses, female priests are not uncommon. We might, by default, end up in our very old age without a church we could attend or support.
ReplyDeleteDuring the original WO battles (I was there), opposition was considered old-fashioned and irrational. It turns out that the Lord and his disciples knew what they were doing when they taught that male and female were not interchangeable in the family or in the sacramental leadership of the believers.
I once heard a "preacher" say from a pulpit, "It's wonderful to be excommunicated from somewhere you ought not be."
ReplyDeleteSeems applicable.