Dutch bishops have indicated that clergy cannot bless ‘irregular couples’ as this could be seen as an endorsement of this lifestyle.
However, they recommend that prayers be offered only for individual believers living in such relationships, asking for God’s help in discerning God’s will for a particular person.
“What is important is what we ask for in prayer and how we pray. For someone living in an irregular or homosexual relationship, the pastor can say a simple prayer outside the context of the liturgical ceremony. In this prayer you can ask God for strength and help, calling on His Spirit to help the person understand God’s will for his or her life and to grow further,” said the Dutch bishops.
They emphasized that it was not intended as a blessing or confirmation of an irregular relationship. They pointed out that “there should be no reason for anyone to confuse such a blessing with marriage, which according to the Catholic Church can only be concluded between a man and a woman. Such a prayer should give strength to get closer to God.” and live in accordance with the purpose for which He created man and woman, and also with the purposes of marriage,” the Dutch bishops emphasized.
Slovakia: Bishops can bless same-sex couples. There are conditions
Bishops from Slovakia took a different approach. When people living in an irregular union ask for a blessing, the priest gives such a blessing to everyone to avoid even the slightest impression that it is a matter of approving, legalizing or placing the irregular union on the level of sacramental marriage. read in the pastoral guidelines published by the Bishops’ Conference of Slovakia. They refer to the application of the document of the dicastery for the doctrine of the faith “Fiducia supplicans”.
The Slovak bishops emphasize that they want to “avoid misunderstandings” when applying this document. Therefore they state:
1. The pursuit of the salvation of every person is the purpose and mission of the Church and her pastoral blessings.
2. When people living in an irregular relationship request a blessing, the priest can grant it only after honestly informing the petitioners about the real meaning and purpose of this blessing, which is a request for peace, health and other good things, and provided at the same time for freedom from everything that conflicts the life of a particular person with the Gospel, as well as for the strengthening to live in accordance with God’s will.
3. The priest, after discernment and accountability to God, gives such a blessing to individuals in order to avoid even the slightest impression that it is a matter of approving, legalizing or placing a non-religious union at the level of a sacramental marriage .
4. The pastoral blessing referred to in the document is neither liturgical nor sacramental, and thus cannot be given in the context of a liturgical rite, nor in liturgical vestments, nor “in an important place in a sacred building or before a altar. ”
5. The pastoral blessing should be very short, simple and concise, without an approved ceremony, in the form of a simple prayer ending with the sign of the cross on each of the two persons.
6. If the priest does not find that the people asking for a blessing understand and accept the above meaning of the blessing, he should not give them the blessing, but should patiently and fatherly include them in his prayers.
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
