Same-sex unions

The Latest

Both the pastor of nearby San Bernabé parish in El Escorial, Fr. Florentino de Andrés, along with the Archdiocese of Madrid, are considering the deconsecration of the chapel as a result of the ceremony.

Catholic chapel where two men celebrated ‘marriage’ now subject to deconsecration

Feb 28, 2024

By ACI Prensa, CNA Staff

The private Catholic chapel where two Spanish men celebrated their civil “marriage” last weekend is subject to “canonical effects” and... Read more

Greek Parliament Building in Athens, Greece.

Greece becomes first Orthodox Christian country to legalize same-sex marriage

Feb 16, 2024

By Daniel Payne

Greece this week legalized same-sex marriage at the national level, becoming the first officially Orthodox Christian country to do so. 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

GOP Presidential Candidate Chris Christie at a town Hall in Bedford, New Hampshire on Dec. 19, 2023.

Chris Christie ties his shift on gay marriage to Vatican ruling on same-sex blessings

Dec 29, 2023

By Joe Bukuras

Christie, who identifies as Catholic, told New Hampshire voters: “I don’t have any objection to it any longer. In the... Read more

Cardinal Daniel Sturla is Archbishop of Montevideo, Uruguay.

Fiducia Supplicans ‘not a topic’ for Christmas season, Uruguayan cardinal says

Dec 27, 2023

By Walter Sánchez Silva

​“I don’t think it was a topic to be brought out now at Christmas. ... it’s creating divisions within the... Read more

Bishop José Ignacio Munilla of Orihuela-Alicante, Spain.

Same-sex blessings: Sinners can be blessed but not their sin, Spanish bishop says

Dec 20, 2023

By Nicolás de Cárdenas

For Bishop Munilla, it’s important to “stick to what is clear and ask the Lord to clarify what is not... Read more

null

Bishops around the world are divided over Vatican’s same-sex blessing declaration  

Dec 20, 2023

By Tyler Arnold

Some bishops are welcoming the news, some are approaching it with caution, while others are outright refusing to implement it. Read more

Members of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM).

Bishops in Malawi declare ‘blessings for same-sex unions of any kind are not permitted’

Dec 20, 2023

By ACI Africa

Bishops in Malawi have prohibited the implementation of the Vatican declaration on the blessing of “same-sex couples” and couples in... Read more

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops meets for its fall plenary assembly meeting Nov. 14, 2023, in Baltimore.

U.S. bishops: Vatican declaration does not change Church teaching on marriage 

Dec 18, 2023

By Tyler Arnold

The Vatican’s new guidance on pastoral blessings prompted a clarifying statement as well as mixed reactions. Read more

Bishop Stefan Oster.

German bishop says divisions within local Church are a ‘disaster for the faithful’

Nov 30, 2023

By Jonathan Liedl

Bishop Stefan Oster did not shy away from identifying profound theological disagreements as the source of division within the Church... Read more

Bishop Pablo Virgilio S. David of Kalookan, Philippines (left), Cardinal Leonardo Steiner, archbishop of Manaus, Brazil (center), and Archbishop Zbigņev Stankevičs of Riga (right) all spoke at the Synod press conference on Oct. 18, 2023.

Latvian bishop at Synod: If someone is living in sin, we can’t tell them that’s all right

Oct 18, 2023

By Courtney Mares

“If there is a person living in sin and we tell this person, ‘Everything is all right with you, it’s... Read more

Photo of the main entrance of Roncalli High School in Indiana.

Appeals court rules Catholic school allowed to hold employees to moral religious standards

Jul 14, 2023

By Tyler Arnold

Roncalli High School in Indiana refused to renew the contract of a guidance counselor because she entered into a homosexual... Read more

Lorie Smith, owner and founder of 303 Creative, at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.

Supreme Court sides with web designer opposed to same-sex marriage

Jun 30, 2023

By Kevin J. Jones

The court’s 6-3 ruling states that the First Amendment’s free speech clause protects a Colorado web designer who feared prosecution... Read more

German Cardinal Gerhard Müller (left) and American Cardinal Raymond Burke.

Cardinals Müller, Burke rebuke German bishops over same-sex union blessings

Mar 17, 2023

By Tyler Arnold

German Cardinal Gerhard Müller and American Cardinal Raymond Burke rebuked the German bishops for approving Church blessings of same-sex unions. Read more

Delegates at the fifth assembly of the German Synodal Way, meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 11, 2023, applaud after the he passage of a text calling for changes to the German Church's approach to gender identity.

German bishops announce plans to bless same-sex unions, allow laypeople to baptize and preach at Mass

Mar 17, 2023

By AC Wimmer

Following the conclusion of the German Synodal Way, several bishops have announced plans to put into practice resolutions passed by... Read more

null

Church of England votes to bless same-sex couples

Feb 9, 2023

By Kevin J. Jones

The Church of England’s governing body has voted to bless same-sex couples while leaving unchanged the definition of marriage as... Read more

A view of a Pride flag hanging from Peterborough Cathedral in 2019

Anglican Church reports synod member to police for tweeting ‘hate speech’

Feb 6, 2023

By Tyler Arnold

As Church of England leaders meet over whether to bless same-sex unions, a diocese reported a lay synod member to... Read more

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France

European court: Russia violated human rights by not legally recognizing gay unions

Feb 6, 2023

By Tyler Arnold

Three couples claimed Russia’s failure to recognize their request for homosexual marriages violated the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. Read more

Fr. Timothy Radcliffe addressing the bishops of the Catholic Church in England and Wales

Controversial Dominican priest to lead October retreat for bishops at start of synod

Jan 23, 2023

By Courtney Mares

Father Timothy Radcliffe, whose statements on homosexuality have previously sparked controversy, will lead a three-day retreat to kick off the... Read more

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, following the final vote on the Respect for Marriage Act in Washington, D.C., Dec. 8, 2022.

House passes same-sex marriage bill in final vote, sending it to Biden’s desk

Dec 8, 2022

By Katie Yoder

A total of 219 Democrats, along with 39 Republicans, voted “yea” to the bill. One hundred sixty-nine Republicans voted against... Read more