Liturgy and blessings of same-sex couples

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has just published the Declaration Fiducia supplicans "on the pastoral meaning of blessings", approved by the Supreme Pontiff Francis. The aim of the document is to respond to questions "on the possibility of blessing same-sex couples and on the possibility of offering new clarifications, in the light of Pope Francis' paternal and pastoral attitude, on the Responsum ad dubium formulated by the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and published on February 22, 2021" (Presentation).

In this Responsum it is affirmed that it is not licit to impart a liturgical blessing to unions that involve a sexual practice outside of marriage, while stressing that "the presence in such relationships of positive elements, which in themselves are to be appreciated and valued, is not, however, capable of justifying them and making them the licit object of an ecclesial blessing, because such elements are at the service of a union not ordered to God's plan".

Being a Declaration, the document reaffirms the doctrine of the Catholic faith taught by the preceding Magisterium. Therefore, it is affirmed that "the present Declaration stands firm in the Church's traditional doctrine on marriage, not permitting any liturgical rite or blessing similar to a liturgical rite that might cause confusion" (Presentation).

After briefly presenting the meaning of the blessing of the sacrament of marriage (nn. 4-5), the document reflects on the meaning of the various blessings, all of which belong to the sacramental genre (nn. 9-13). Most significant is the distinction drawn between liturgical or ritual blessings and non-liturgical or non-ritual blessings.

The Presentation emphasizes that, by identifying this second species of blessing, the document offers "a specific and innovative contribution to the pastoral meaning of blessings, which allows us to broaden and enrich the classical understanding of blessings closely linked to a liturgical perspective. Such a theological reflection, based on the pastoral vision of Pope Francis, involves a true development of what has been said about blessings in the Magisterium and in the official texts of the Church." 

Precisely in keeping with the nature of non-liturgical blessings, the Declaration authorizes the blessings to be given by an ordained priest to couples in irregular situations and to same-sex couples in sexual relations. This openness is considered not to contradict the teachings of the preceding magisterium since it did not consider this type of blessing. And the Declaration reaffirms that the rites of blessing require "that what is blessed be in conformity with the will of God as manifested in the teachings of the Church" (n. 9). Since "the Church has always considered morally licit only sexual relations that are lived within marriage, she has no power to confer her liturgical blessing when it might in some way offer a form of moral legitimacy to a union that presumes to be a marriage or to an extramarital sexual practice" (n. 11).

Non-liturgical blessings

What is the nature of non-liturgical blessings that may be imparted to couples in irregular situations and to same-sex couples? After outlining the nature of blessings in Sacred Scripture (nn. 14-15), we conclude with a general theological-pastoral understanding that accommodates non-ritual blessings. These are blessings that people spontaneously ask the priest for, and which are valued, from the point of view of popular pastoral care, "as acts of devotion that "find their proper place outside the celebration of the Eucharist and the other sacraments....". The language, rhythm, development and theological accents of popular piety differ from those of liturgical actions". For the same reason, "it is necessary to avoid adding modes proper to the liturgical celebration to the exercises of piety, which must preserve their style, simplicity and characteristic language" (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Directory on popular piety and liturgy. Principles and orientationsLibreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City 2002, n. 13)" (n. 24).

As with all blessings, this one too has an ascending dimension because "when one becomes aware of the Lord's gifts and unconditional love, even in situations of sin, especially when one hears a prayer, the believing heart raises its praise and blessing to God" (n. 29).

And together with the ascending dimension there is the descending dimension, because his request shows that he is "in need of the salvific action of God in his history" and that he recognizes the Church "as the sacrament of the salvation that God offers" (n. 20). When "one asks for a blessing, one is expressing a request for help from God, a plea to be able to live better, a trust in a Father who can help us to live better" (n. 21, citing Francis), Responses of the Holy Father to the Dubia proposed by two Cardinalsad dubium 2, e).

For these forms of blessing, the Declaration continues, it is not always necessary to provide official procedures or rites (cf. n. 30). Prudence and pastoral wisdom may suggest that, avoiding serious forms of scandal or confusion among the faithful, the ordained minister join in the prayer of those persons who, although they are in a union that can in no way be compared to marriage, wish to entrust themselves to the Lord and to his mercy, to invoke his help, to allow themselves to be guided towards a greater understanding of his plan of love and life" (n. 30).

We can conclude that non-ritual blessings, according to the Declaration, are not considered properly liturgical, but a personal prayer of the faithful to which the priest is united at the request of the faithful themselves to intercede as an ordained minister of the Church before God. Prayer aimed at obtaining God's grace to live according to his will with the proper efficacy of the sacramentals (cf. n. 32).

Request for assistance, not standing

After exposing the nature of non-liturgical blessings, the possibility of couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples receiving a non-ritual blessing is addressed.

The answer is affirmative and, in continuity with the doctrinal exposition presented, it is stated that in "these cases, a blessing is imparted that not only has an ascending value, but is also the invocation of a descending blessing from God himself on those who, recognizing themselves helpless and in need of his help, do not claim the legitimacy of their own statusRather, they pray that whatever is true, good and humanly valid in their lives and relationships may be invested, sanctified and elevated by the presence of the Holy Spirit. These forms of blessing express a plea to God to grant those helps that come from the promptings of his Spirit-what classical theology calls "actual graces"-so that human relationships may mature and grow in fidelity to the Gospel message, be freed from their imperfections and frailties and express themselves in the ever greater dimension of divine love" (n. 31).

At the same time, it is insisted that its "form should not be ritually fixed by the ecclesiastical authorities, so as not to cause confusion with the blessing proper to the sacrament of marriage" (n. 31).

And it is further specified that "in order to avoid any form of confusion or scandal, when the prayer of blessing is requested by a couple in an irregular situation, even if it is conferred outside the rites foreseen by the liturgical books, this blessing is never to be performed at the same time as the civil rites of union, nor even in connection with them. Not even with the vestments, gestures or words proper to a marriage" (n. 39).

The priest, called spontaneously by the couple to bless them, cannot claim to "sanction or legitimize anything" (n. 36). And in "the brief prayer that may precede this spontaneous blessing, the ordained minister could ask for their peace, health, a spirit of patience, dialogue and mutual help, but also the light and strength of God to be able to fully carry out his will" (n. 38).

We can conclude that by authorizing the blessing of couples in a situation not in conformity with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Church, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith does not legitimize the situation of these persons, but rather authorizes the ordained priest to join in the prayer of these faithful to implore God's grace and to live in conformity with the divine plan.

Reflection on Blessings as Sacramentals

Finally, it could be pointed out that the theological-pastoral exposition of the Declaration, by considering both liturgical and non-liturgical blessings as sacramental (understanding as sacramentals The Declaration is not intended to be a substitute for the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, between numbers 1667 and 1676), which could give rise to a type of confusion that the Declaration certainly wishes to avoid: that the non-liturgical blessing be perceived as a legitimization of the irregular union.

The Declaration stresses that ritual blessings are liturgical, while non-ritual blessings are considered acts of devotion expressing a supplication to God. This distinction allows us to conclude that non-ritual blessings are objectively differentiated from liturgy (cf. the text of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Directory on popular piety and liturgy. Principles and orientations(Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City 2002, cited in n. 13 of the Declaration), and to justify the specific distinction between the two types of blessings.

However, the doctrine of the Church teaches that sacramentals are liturgical celebrations. This doctrine is contained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church when treating of sacramentals in the chapter entitled "Other Liturgical Celebrations" of the Christian Mystery other than the sacraments.

But if we accept that both species of blessings are liturgical, the reason for establishing the specific difference between them is weakened, which seems to be reduced to the form of celebration: ritual or non-ritual. It seems difficult, then, to find a reason why one cannot "add modes proper to the liturgical celebration"to non-liturgical blessings. This would make it possible to conclude that the ritualization of these blessings would not violate their proper nature, and justify giving the liturgical blessing to irregular unions. In this way the non-liturgical blessing could be perceived as a way of legitimizing irregular unions.

To avoid this danger, it seems to me that non-liturgical blessings should be excluded from sacramentals. This would make it possible to maintain that such blessings are not truly liturgical, as the document maintains, because the priest would join in the couple's prayer in a personal and not ministerial way. And this would also help to diminish the danger of their ritualization.