(Washington Stand) As a committed evangelical Protestant, I feel a bit uncomfortable writing about the pope’s recent decision to allow Roman Catholic priests to bless same-sex unions. But Pope Francis’s “Fiducia Supplicans” (“Supplicating Trust”), his declaration on blessing same-sex couples issued on December 18, is far more than a kindly attempt to broaden his church’s reach.
The pope met with “a group of about 30 priests on the southern outskirts of Rome” a few days ago and told them that the new policy “does not involve the sacrament of marriage. It doesn’t change the sacrament.” As reported by journalist Justin McLellan, under the new rules, a “priest can bless a gay or other unmarried couple as long as it is not a formal liturgical blessing and does not give the impression that the Catholic Church is blessing the union as if it were a marriage.”
With every respect, this makes no sense. To what purpose is the blessing being offered, if not as a tacit endorsement of a union at clear odds with the teachings of Scripture and of the Church itself? (Read More)
