Vatican’s Stance on Same-Sex Blessings

With the new pontiff, will Fiducia Supplicans—the famous Vatican declaration of 2023 that introduced the possibility of blessing same-sex couples in the Church—be shelved? ‘I don’t think so, the Declaration will remain.’ The reassurance comes from the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Faith, Victor Manuel Fernandez, who, leaving the Vatican press room, says there will be no modifications or cancellations of one of Francis’s documents that have caused the most upheaval among the episcopates, to the point of inducing an entire continent—Africa—to a mutiny culminating in a sort of agreement of non-proceeding. To date, African episcopates are, in fact, exempted from fully applying that pastoral novelty, thus avoiding blessing same-sex couples. ‘For us, it remains a fundamental doctrinal problem,’ explained the Congolese cardinal, Fridolin Ambongo, who at the time was a mediator between different positions. ‘The fact is that in Africa, this type of blessing is not among the pastoral priorities. For us, the priority is rather to live or even survive. It is life. This topic, related to gay blessings, is more for you Europeans. I can say that when this document was issued, for us Africans it was a surprise, experienced as a sort of imposition of something that was not at all a priority for us.’ The cardinal, who heads all the continent’s episcopal conferences, emphasizes that it is not at all about marginalizing or even criminalizing homosexuality. ‘We have respect for those who believe in this practice (of homosexuality ed.), we respect homosexuals, and I do not even believe that the criminalization of homosexuality, as happens in Uganda, is a good thing. I would not say that.’ Cardinal Ambongo, however, repeats that the reservations expressed by Africans should not be considered ‘an exception, since several European episcopates have done the same. Fundamentally, there is a theological and moral problem, and until the Church changes the doctrine, and so far it has not changed it, I would say that the doctrinal and theological problem remains.’ Finally, Cardinal Fridolin hints that there is a need to work together. So far, there has been a sort of Crown Council, the C9, composed of 9 cardinals to help Pope Francis address many issues. Now with Pope Leo XIV, things will change because during the conclave the need for greater participation emerged clearly. ‘There will be the enhancement of the cardinals, all of them, with a collegial meeting that will be held at least once a year.’ The hope of the Africans remains to embrace Pope Leo XIV in Africa. ‘This year he will not be able to come to us, maybe next year. The advantage is that he traveled the world when he was head of his religious order, to visit his confreres, and the African reality is well known. He has already visited my diocese (in Kinshasa) at least twice in the past.’

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