Father Martin, other advocates welcome new Vatican document; Archbishop Cordileone: read it in continuity with Church teaching
December 19, 2023
» Continue to this story on Bay Area Reporter
CWN Editor's Note: The Bay Area Reporter, a newspaper that describes itself as “serving the San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ community since 1971,” sought comments from several Catholics who welcomed the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s declaration on blessing same-sex couples outside of the liturgy.
“The new declaration opens the door to non-liturgical blessings for same-sex couples, something that had been previously off limits for all bishops, priests, and deacons,” said Father James Martin, SJ. “Along with many Catholic priests, I will now be delighted to bless my friends in same-sex marriages.”
“It cannot be overstated how significant the Vatican’s new declaration is,” added Francis DeBernardo of New Ways Ministry. “Approving blessings for same-gender couples is certainly monumental.”
Father Donal Godfrey, SJ, a gay priest who is executive director of university ministry at the University of San Francisco, said that the declaration “humanizes and destigmatizes us. I think it is very positive and will change the tone in the Catholic Church for LGBTQI folk ... The conversations about the deeper and theological issues will need to continue, and will take time.”
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone told the newspaper, “I encourage those who have questions to read the Vatican declaration closely, and in continuity with the Church’s unchanging teaching. Doing so will enable one to understand how it encourages pastoral solicitude while maintaining fidelity to the Lord Jesus Christ.”
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Posted by: feedback -
Dec. 19, 2023 9:44 AM ET USA
Emphases on 'outside of the liturgy' doesn't make this sort of "blessings" any less scandalous. Fr. Martin would sound more honest if he disclosed whether he himself is a homosexual or not. The decades of sex scandals in the Church revealed a pattern that gay clergy would choose acting up on their disordered inclinations rather than being faithful to the Church and their vocation. "No one can serve two masters. You will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other."
