Belgian Catholic bishops allow blessings for “committed” same-sex unions, defying Vatican
Catholic bishops in Belgium have defied the Vatican, and agreed to authorise prayer and blessings for “committed” same-sex partnerships.
The decision was announced in a document released via the Bishops’ Conference of Belgium website on 20 September. It outlined that Flemish Roman Catholic bishops have allowed the blessings of same-sex marriages.
However, they stressed that this was not “what the church understands by a sacramental marriage.” The blessing includes a ritual of prayer and a commitment to be faithful to each other.
The move is a step toward becoming a “welcoming church that excludes no one.” Guidance also suggested that bishops wanted to “structurally anchor their pastoral commitment to homosexual persons” and denounce “homophobic violence.” The Vatican Willy Bombeek has been appointed as a staff member to help oversee the care of LGBTQ+ Catholics.
