The document “Fiducia Supplicans” (“Supplicating Trust”), an attempt to clarify “the pastoral meaning of blessings,” was published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and signed by Pope Francis on Dec. 18, 2023. Since then, the document has been picked apart and explained in different ways.
How to deal with same-sex relationships is a subject that has been addressed internationally in many ways, from the legal status in many western countries in Europe and the Americas, to condemnation in some African, Eastern European and South American countries. The Catholic Church and some Protestant denominations have found that the faithful are confused and divided on how to approach the growing acceptance of same-sex individuals and their rights in their countries and Christian denominations. While “Fiducia Supplicans” allows that any individual or couple approaching the Church for a blessing is permissible, it has sparked strong reactions from those championing the cause of greater inclusion and those who condemn same-sex relationships as sinful.
The document has also given permission for heterosexual couples in marriages not recognized by the Church to be blessed by a priest. However, this permission did not ignite the same flurry of indignation or elation. To me, this indicates that Christianity is and has been in a quandary as to how to approach a subject that elicits strong and somewhat unbending approaches on either side of the divide.
The Catholic Church has been struggling with how to view and teach about this subject since the Second Vatican Council. Most statements attempting to clarify the Church’s stance on same-sex relationships wrestle with the desire to affirm the intrinsic dignity of every same-sex individual and the official teaching that finds such sexual relationships as intrinsically disordered.
We are not alone. Two of the largest Protestant denominations – namely, the Anglican Communion (Episcopal Church in the United States) and the United Methodist Church – have experienced convulsive debate in their faith communities. Because, like the Catholic Church, these denominations are worldwide institutions, cultural differences often color the view of homosexuality.
For example, in Africa, there are some 265 million Catholics, 3.5 million Anglicans and 2 million United Methodists. Like the Anglicans and United Methodists in Africa, Catholics generally have a negative view of homosexuality; some countries enact laws that imprison, torture, and in some rare cases, execute those suspected of same-gender acts or relationships. The Anglican Communion has experienced a partial break with some 10 conservative provinces, and the United Methodist Church has seen one-quarter of its members break away and form the new Global Methodist Church.
I suspect that Pope Francis’ statements on the inherent dignity of all people, including those who are in same-sex relationships, are meant to influence the cultures that condemn and persecute this demographic. In fact, you may recall that before Pope Francis’ trip to Africa, Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Iain Greenshields, the Moderator of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland, made a joint statement that can be summarized by these words of Pope Francis, “We are all children of God, and God loves us as we are and for the strength that each of us fights for our dignity.” He added that we all need to put an end to these discriminatory laws against same-sex couples.
The culture and politics of the day have often influenced changing views in the Christian world. The Protestant Reformation is a prime example. Pope Francis and other like-minded religious leaders are calling on all the baptized to realize, as taught in Catholic social teaching, “We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic and ideological differences. We are our brother’s and sister’s keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world.”
Father Joseph D. Wallace is diocesan director of Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs and pastor of Christ the Redeemer Parish, Atco.
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