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Fiducia supplicans (transl. Supplicating Trust) is a declaration on Catholic doctrine published in December 2023 by the Catholic Church's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) and approved by Pope Francis. It allows Catholic priests to bless same-sex unions and certain other non-married couples.

It is the first declaration from the DDF in 23 years, with Dominus Iesus in 2000. Fiducia supplicans overturned a 2021 policy by the Vatican’s doctrine office, which had previously forbid such blessings.

History

The last doctrinal declaration prior to Fiducia supplicans was Dominus Iesus in 2000.

Back in 2021, the DDF had issued a Responsum ad dubium ("Response to doubt"), in which it replied in the negative to the question of whether the church has "the power to give the blessing to unions of persons of the same sex". The reasons for that answer were set out in an accompanying "explanatory note".

Contents

Fiducia supplicans provides clarifications and reforms on the church's treatment of what it calls "irregular relationships", that is, those that established a monogamous and emotional bond that lasts over time and that have not contracted marriage. Most notably, it allows Catholic priests to perform "spontaneous blessings" on same-sex couples, as well as opposite-sex couples who are not yet married, and married couples who were previously divorced and have not received an annulment, but only so that they may “be able to fulfill will completely.”

The document details that this type of informal and spontaneous blessing is neither a sacrament nor a rite of the Catholic Church, so no special ceremony is performed for it. The document maintains that sexual relations are licit only within marriage, so heterosexual couples are urged to marry and not consider this blessing as an alternative to marriage. All extramarital sexual relations are considered a sin by the Church and continue to be so, which is why it is asked for the affect that may exist between the two people of the same sex involved. The sexual attraction between two people of the same sex is not condemned according to the sexual morality of the church, but the sexual act is.

Fiducia supplicans does not provide for changes with respect to the institution of marriage in the Catholic Church. Marriage is still understood only as the union between a man and a woman, to the exclusion of all kind of marriages that are not heterosexual and monogamous, such as same-sex marriage, as well as any kind of heterosexual or bisexual bigamy and polygamy.

Reaction

The declaration was described as being part of Francis's efforts at greater LGBT inclusion in the Catholic Church, and viewed by both supporters and opponents as a stepping stone to future recognition of same-sex marriage within it. Fiducia supplicans overturned a 2021 policy by the Vatican’s doctrine office, which forbid the blessing of same-sex couples. Pope Francis advised that Vatican bureaucrats should avoid "rigid ideological positions" shortly after the declaration was made.

In Belgium, Antwerp Bishop Johan Bonny praised the decision as "moving towards" this goal. According to Archbishop Franz Lackner, head of the Archdiocese of Salzburg, the document means that “Basically, one can no longer say no" to blessing same-sex unions. though his spokesperson later said that "no personal obligation can be derived from a general openness to bless same-sex couples for each individual case". Geert De Kerpel, the spokesperson for the Flemish Catholic Church, stated that it would not have an impact locally, as same-sex unions were already being blessed, but that the declaration would rightfully now apply this situation at an international level. James Martin, a Jesuit priest, reacted by stating that "Fiducia supplicans is a major step forward in the church's ministry to LGBTQ people and recognises the desire for same-sex couples for God's presence and help in their committed and loving relationships." The next day, he had performed a blessing to a married same-sex couple.

The declaration sparked controversy and criticism among conservative Catholics.The Archdiocese of Mary Most Holy in Astana condemned Fiducia supplicans, with Archbishop Tomasz Peta and Auxiliary Bishop Athanasius Schneider denouncing Fiducia supplicans for contradicting "Divine Revelation and the uninterrupted, bimillennial doctrine and practice of the Catholic Church." They formally forbade any priest from performing such blessings. The Episcopal Conference of Malawi also explicitly prohibited the implementation of the Vatican's directive concerning the blessing of same-sex unions or similar "irregular situations" within Malawi, stating that "blessings of any kind and for same sex unions of any kind, are not permitted in Malawi". Similiarly, Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops also rejected application of the declaration to avoid breaching the laws of the country and to avoid pastoral inclarities. Also critical were a number of evangelical Protestants such as Franklin Graham and Albert Mohler.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, a group known to be more conservative than Pope Francis, released a statement in which they viewed the declaration as " a distinction between liturgical (sacramental) blessings, and pastoral blessings." They also stated that the declaration has affirmed that "The Church’s teaching on marriage has not changed.” The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement also agreeing that the document affirms church teaching on marriage "explicitly." Bishop Czesław Kozon of Denmark said that there was a problem not with the content of the statement, “but the way it will be received and interpreted.” President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi said, "What people do not understand is that if a gay couple goes to the priest to bless them, and the pope says yes, you are blessing the people and not the union".

See also

• Catholic Church and homosexuality
• Marriage in the Catholic Church
• Blessing of same-sex unions in Christian churches

References

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4. ^ Hudson, Patrick (18 December 2023). "DDF declaration opens door to blessings for 'irregular' couples". The Tablet. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023.
5. ^ Winfield, Nicole (2023-12-21). "After approving blessings for same-sex couples, Pope asks Vatican staff to avoid 'rigid ideologies'". AP News. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
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26. Athanasius Schneider; Tomasz Peta (20 December 2023). "Archdiocese Condemns "Evil" Vatican Document and Prohibits Same-sex Blessings". OnePeterFive. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
27. Montagna, Diane (2023-12-20). "Archbishop prohibits priests from 'performing any form of blessing' of same-sex couples in response to new Vatican declaration". Catholic Herald. Archived from the original on 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
28. ""Blessings for same sex unions of any kind are not permitted in Malawi": Catholic Bishops". ACI Africa. Archived from the original on 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
29. "Biskupské konferencie po celom svete vyjadrili odmietavý postoj proti udeľovaniu požehnania homosexuálnym párom" [Episcopal conference around the world expressed rejection against conferring blessings over homosexual couples.]. Štandard (in Slovak). 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
30. "Franklin Graham Denounces Pope for Approving Blessings of Same-Sex Couples". ChristianHeadlines.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
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32. ^ "Statement of USCCB on Vatican's Document Addressing Pastoral Blessings | USCCB". www.usccb.org. Archived from the original on 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
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34. ^ "'Fiducia supplicans': Who's saying what?". https://www.pillarcatholic.com/. 2023-12-19. Archived from the original on 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2023-12-21. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)

External links

• Fiducia supplicans (in English)

• Documents of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
• 2023 documents
• 2023 in Christianity
• LGBT and Catholicism
• Pope Francis