same-sex blessings

The Latest

Pope Francis greets pilgrims at his general audience on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican.

Pope Francis: To be ‘scandalized’ by gay couple blessings is ‘hypocrisy’

Feb 7, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

The Holy Father this week again defended the Vatican’s controversial document authorizing blessings for same-sex couples. Read more

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90 Catholic priests, scholars ask Church leaders to oppose same-sex blessings

Feb 6, 2024

By Tyler Arnold

The signatories claim that the declaration Fiducia Supplicans contradicts “both Scripture and the universal and uninterrupted Tradition of the Church.” Read more

Joseph Cardinal Zen is bishop emeritus of Hong Kong.

Cardinal Zen discusses his new book for Lent and concerns for the Church

Feb 2, 2024

By Joe Bukuras

In an interview with Raymond Arroyo, Cardinal Joseph Zen discussed his new book “Cardinal Zen’s Lenten Reflections” and recent matters... Read more

Pope Francis meets with members of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024.

Pope Francis: Small ideological groups oppose same-sex blessings; Africa a ‘special case’

Jan 29, 2024

By Tyler Arnold

Pope Francis suggested that the opposition to the Vatican’s approval of nonliturgical blessings for same-sex couples mostly comes from “small... Read more

Pope Francis meets with members of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024.

Pope Francis: Blessings don’t require ‘moral perfection’

Jan 26, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

Pope Francis on Friday offered guidance to members of the Vatican’s doctrinal office for dealing with matters of faith. Read more

Bishop Hans van den Hende walks in Keukenhof park in Lisse, Netherlands, on April 12, 2022.

Dutch bishops offer cautious response to Vatican blessing guidance, bucking regional trend   

Jan 19, 2024

By Jonathan Liedl

The bishops emphasized that any blessings should help people “live in accordance with [God’s] intentions for the creation of man... Read more

Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, speaks with EWTN Vatican Bureau Chief Andreas Thonhauser on Jan. 18, 2024.

Vatican prefect: Fiducia Supplicans draws ‘some negative reactions’ from Christian leaders

Jan 19, 2024

By Matthew Santucci, AC Wimmer

In an exclusive EWTN interview and in comments to the Vatican’s news agency, Cardinal Kurt Koch said he has received... Read more

Luca Di Tolve.

Former gay activist: Fiducia Supplicans hurts those ‘struggling for chastity’

Jan 19, 2024

By Walter Sánchez Silva

Luca Di Tolve, Mister Gay Italy 1990 and a former homosexual activist, posted a reflection on his website regarding the... Read more

Pope Francis speaks at a meeting with priests from the Diocese of Rome in the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran on Jan. 13, 2024.

Pope Francis responds to resistance to Fiducia Supplicans: ‘The Lord blesses everyone’

Jan 15, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Pope Francis responded publicly to questions about the Vatican’s declaration on blessings for same-sex couples for the first time in... Read more

Cardinal Pietro Parolin celebrates Mass for peace in Ukraine on Thursday in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, Nov. 17, 2022.

Cardinal Parolin: Fiducia Supplicans has ‘touched a very sensitive point’ 

Jan 13, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

The Vatican’s secretary of state acknowledged the divided reaction to Fiducia Supplicans, which allows nonliturgical blessings for couples in “irregular”... Read more

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).

African bishops: ‘No blessing for homosexual couples in the African Churches’

Jan 11, 2024

By Peter Pinedo

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, wrote the bishops’ statement issued Jan.... Read more

Cardinal Robert Sarah speaks with students and faculty at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas on May 25, 2023.

Cardinal Sarah speaks out against clergy blessing same-sex unions

Jan 8, 2024

By Kate Quiñones

“The freedom we must offer to people living in homosexual unions lies in the truth of the word of God,”... Read more

The Saint Peter Cathedral in Rennes, France.

French bishops instruct priests to refrain from blessing homosexual couples

Jan 5, 2024

By Peter Pinedo

Nine bishops from France have instructed priests in their dioceses that they may bless homosexual individuals but should refrain from... Read more

Monsignor Rafael Escudero is bishop of the Territorial Prelature of Moyobamba in Peru.

Peruvian Bishop Escudero delivers comprehensive critique of blessing irregular couples

Jan 4, 2024

By Diego López Marina

Bishop Rafael Escudero considers the blessing of such couples “a grave abuse of the Most Holy Name of God.” Read more

St. Peter's Dome.

Vatican responds to widespread backlash on same-sex blessing directive

Jan 4, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández maintained that the Vatican’s recent declaration on same-sex blessings was “clear and definitive about marriage and... Read more

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández.

Cardinal Fernández: Vatican’s same-sex blessings guidance is ‘clear answer’ to German bishops

Jan 3, 2024

By Jonathan Liedl

Members of the controversial German Synodal Way overwhelmingly approved developing formalized ritual texts for same-sex blessings in March 2023.   Read more

Members of the Episcopal Conference of Ivory Coast (CECCI).

Resistance to same-sex blessings grows in Africa, but bishops are divided globally

Jan 3, 2024

By Tyler Arnold

More than two weeks after the Vatican issued a declaration on blessings of same-sex couples, bishops remain divided over the... Read more

Rev. Eugene F. Rivers III.

Black Pentecostal leader urges pope to withdraw same-sex blessing document

Dec 29, 2023

By Tyler Arnold

A prominent black Pentecostal leader is voicing his “solidarity” with African Catholics and urging Pope Francis to withdraw the new... Read more

Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez.

Fernández: ‘It’s proper for each bishop’ to discern application of Fiducia Supplicans

Dec 27, 2023

By Nicolás de Cárdenas

In an interview published in a Spanish newspaper, Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith prefect Cardinal Victor Fernández responded... Read more

Pope Francis embraces Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, during a meeting with bishops of the Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church at the Vatican on Sept. 6, 2023.

Ukrainian archbishop says same-sex blessings document doesn’t apply to Eastern Churches

Dec 22, 2023

By Joe Bukuras

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said that his statement was in response to numerous appeals from bishops, clergy, monastics, and individual... Read more