{"id":1668,"date":"2023-12-21T13:44:42","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T12:44:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thechristian.ng\/?p=1668"},"modified":"2023-12-21T15:22:28","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T14:22:28","slug":"catholic-pope-approves-same-sex-couples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thechristian.ng\/?p=1668","title":{"rendered":"Catholic Pope approves same-sex marriages"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

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Pope Francis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pope Francis has given Catholic priests permission to bless same-sex couples and \u201cirregular\u201d couples, a Vatican document has said.<\/p>\n

This shows a significant shift in the church\u2019s approach to LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n

The document, \u201cFiducia Supplicans\u201d approved on Monday December 19 by the pope said priests must take decisions on a case-by-case basis.<\/p>\n

It said the blessings could be done as long as they are not part of the regular church rituals or liturgies, nor at the same time as a civil union.<\/p>\n

The document states \u201cthe possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex,\u201d though it leaves decisions to \u201cthe prudent and fatherly discernment of ordained ministers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new ruling marks a significant shift from that of 2021 which barred any blessings, saying God \u201ccannot bless sin.\u201d<\/p>\n

While introducing the document, the Prefect of the church, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, explained that the revised position from the 2021 stance does not confer official recognition to same-sex couples within the Catholic church.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a huge step forward in the church\u2019s ministry to same-sex couples,\u201d James Martin, a Jesuit priest who ministers to gay Catholics, said, adding it is a dramatic shift from the Vatican’s 2021 stance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new declaration opens the door to non-liturgical blessings for same-sex couples, something that had been previously off limits for all bishops, priests and deacons. Along with many Catholic priests, I will now be delighted to bless my friends in same-sex marriages,\u201d Martin stated further to\u00a0CNN<\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nigerian Catholic says teaching on marriage still intact<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Nigerian Catholic bishops, under the aegis of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), said the new stance on same-sex marriage does not change church\u2019s teaching on marriage.<\/p>\n

CBCN President, Bishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, and the Secretary, Bishop Donatus Ogun, said this in a statement.<\/p>\n

The Conference noted that the declaration by the Pope seeks to explain the various forms of blessing that can be given to persons and objects in the Catholic Church, including the possibility of blessing persons in irregular unions.<\/p>\n

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Nigerian Catholic Bishops<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It said such unions include though not limited to divorced and remarried couples whose previous marriages have not been annulled, those living in same-sex unions, those polygamous unions, in concubinage etc.<\/p>\n

CBCN said such unions include but are not limited to divorced and remarried couples whose previous marriages had not been annulled, those living in same-sex unions, those in polygamous unions, in concubinage, etc.<\/p>\n

The statement read, \u201cThe Declaration acknowledges and carefully distinguishes between ritual, liturgical, and informal blessings.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile ritual or liturgical blessings are imparted according to the established norms of the Church, informal blessings refer to prayers over people who ask for them outside the liturgy or any formal celebration in the Church.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Declaration offers a consideration of the possibility of extending the informal blessing to all God\u2019s children, irrespective of their moral condition, when they ask to be blessed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNevertheless, the Declaration insists that the blessing of persons in irregular unions \u2013 and never the union itself \u2013 can only take a non-liturgical form to avoid confusion. It should not be imparted during or in connection with a civil wedding ceremony or with clothing, words, and signs associated with a wedding\u201d, the statement said.<\/p>\n

The Bishops said the Declaration affirms the Catholic Church\u2019s perennial teaching on marriage as an \u201cexclusive, stable and indissoluble union of a man and woman, naturally open to the generation of children\u201d and emphatically states that the Church does not have the power to impart a blessing on irregular unions.<\/p>\n

The statement added that the Declaration also reinforces the truth about God\u2019s mercy.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor one to willingly ask for a blessing demonstrates one\u2019s trust in God and the desire to live according to God\u2019s commandments. Asking for God\u2019s
\nblessing is not dependent on how good one is. Imperfection is the reason for seeking God\u2019s grace. Therefore, those in irregular unions are invited never to lose hope but rather to ask for God\u2019s grace and mercy while remaining open to conversion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn conclusion, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria assures the entire People of God that the teaching of the Catholic Church on marriage remains the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is, therefore, no possibility in the Church of blessing same-sex unions and activities. That would go against God\u2019s law, the teachings of the Church, the laws of our nation and the cultural sensibilities of our people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CBCN thanks all the Priests for their accompaniment of married couples, asking them to continue in all they do to sustain the sacrament of holy matrimony and never to do anything that would detract from the sacredness of this sacrament\u201d, the statement added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Pope Francis has given Catholic priests permission to bless same-sex couples and \u201cirregular\u201d couples, a Vatican document has said. This shows a significant shift in the church\u2019s approach to LGBTQ+ community. The document, \u201cFiducia Supplicans\u201d approved on Monday December 19 by the pope said priests must take decisions on a case-by-case basis. It said […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"top","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"1"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending"},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":""},"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-uncategorized"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechristian.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechristian.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechristian.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechristian.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechristian.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1668"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thechristian.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1672,"href":"https:\/\/thechristian.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1668\/revisions\/1672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechristian.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechristian.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechristian.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}