The group said that, given the widespread Catholic practice of blessing “a vast range of inanimate objects ranging from homes, offices and vehicles, even machines of war, as well as to beloved pets and other animals,” the Vatican’s shift on the subject took “far too long.”
In October, at the first meeting of a global consultation of bishops and lay Catholics called the Synod on Synodality, questions of LGBTQ welcoming, the ordination of women and the possibility of allowing married priests were all on the agenda, though its report made no firm recommendation about blessings of gay couples.
The German church, which recently concluded its own exploration of some of these same issues under the rubric of the Synodal Path, has allowed and performed blessings of same-sex couples for years. “It turns out that theological honesty and a sense of faith are important milestones on the way to changing the Church. Mere obedience to prohibitions is not Catholic,” said the president of the lay Central Committee of German Catholics, Irme Stetter-Karp, in a statement on Monday.
But conservative factions in the church have strongly opposed the practice and spoke out against the Vatican’s recent pronouncement.
“I ask my brother bishops that we all join in a voice of strength and joy in the Lord in these last days of Advent and say no to this latest document and ask for a clarification of the true teaching of the Catholic faith,” said Bishop Joseph Strickland, who was recently removed as head of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, due to his open criticism of Francis’ pontificate, in an interview with the conservative Catholic media outlet Lifesite News.
Another U.S. critic of Francis, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, emphasized in a statement that the document does not change church teaching on the question of homosexuality, which is considered a sin according to Catholic doctrine, and he urged faithful to “read the Vatican declaration closely.”
This roughly echoed the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which sought to clarify that the recent Vatican declaration does signify a doctrinal shift, but added that “this declaration affirms that, while also making an effort to accompany people through the imparting of pastoral blessings because each of us needs God’s healing love and mercy in our lives.”
Other dioceses were outspoken in opposition. The Diocese of Astana, Kazakhstan, issued guidance on Tuesday prohibiting any priest from performing the blessing of same-sex couples, calling the Vatican declaration a “great deception.”
Bishops in Malawi also banned the practice “to avoid creating confusion among the faithful,” in a clarification published Tuesday. The initial regional responses after the announcement highlight the possibility of a varied approach based on cultural and national sensibilities.
This article originally appeared here.
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