Vatican Defends Gay Blessings, but Offers Critics Some Leeway
nytimes.comIn the weeks since Pope Francis approved a rule allowing the blessing of same-sex couples, some bishops in conservative corners of the church, such as Africa, have said they wouldn’t allow priests to perform the practice, which they believe contradicts church doctrine.
On Thursday, the Vatican said in a statement that any bishops opposed to the rule should take an “extended period of pastoral reflection” to wrap their heads around why the Vatican says it is in keeping with church teaching.
The Vatican also said that while “local culture” should be taken into account when it came to applying the declaration, bishops could not — in “a total or definitive denial” — forbid priests who want to bestow the blessings from doing so.
Bishops who oppose the rule, the Vatican said, should not misconstrue it as a Vatican effort to “approve nor justify” relationships considered sinful, and should understand that it does not undercut church teaching against same-sex marriage, because informal blessings are not formal rites.
