Vatican Reaffirms Support Of Same-Sex Blessings After Bishop Pushback
ForbesDec 30, 2023
Pope Calls Africa a 'Special Case' on Same-Sex Blessings
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The Facts
In a recent interview with Italian newspaper La Stampa, Pope Francis said that African bishops were a "special case" in their opposition to Fiducia Supplicans — a recent declaration which allows blessings for same-sex couples — as they culturally regard homosexuality as "something ugly."
Suggesting that resistance to his reforms or talks of a schism have come from small ideological groups, the pontiff said that everyone will eventually understand the inclusive nature of the declaration, which he says "aims to include, not divide."
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
At best, the Fiducia Supplicans and its blessings for same-sex couples promote cultural colonialism, forcing other societies to validate harmful, progressive western values, despite the Vatican long advising Catholics not to subscribe to such ideologies. In religious terms, this declaration directly contradicts the Gospel of Christ.
Pro-establishment narrative
As Pope Francis adopts a non-judgmental, inclusive attitude, many bishops and ordinary Catholics have joined in an ongoing commotion after misunderstanding and misrepresenting the move to allow LGBTQ+ couples to be blessed. While the Vatican could indeed have communicated this change better, this document simply states that blessings don't require prior moral perfection.
