BY: DM
Published 5 months ago
After giving mixed vibes when it comes to the LGBTQIA+ community, Pope Leo XIV has seemingly changed his views. Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández told reporters on July 3 that blessings for same-sex couples will continue under Leo XIV. The announcement marks the pope’s clearest show of support for LGBTQIA+ Catholics—echoing the more inclusive approach of Pope Francis. Supporters have welcomed the move as a step toward compassion and inclusion, while critics warn it could blur the Church’s teachings on marriage.
Pope Leo?XIV will continue blessings for same-sex couples.
Fernández gave his most direct signal yet that Pope Leo XIV will uphold the 2023 “Fiducia Supplicans” guidelines during an impromptu interview with an Il Messaggero reporter outside the Holy See Press Office. When asked whether Pope Leo XIV would rescind or ignore the Francis-era declaration, Fernández responded flatly, “I really don’t think so — the declaration will remain.”
These guidelines, issued by the Dicastery and approved by then–Pope Francis, opened the door to non-sacramental prayers for couples in “irregular” situations, including same-sex relationships. Under “Fiducia Supplicans,” priests may offer a simple, pastoral blessing to same-sex partners if their union reflects mutual fidelity and a sincere desire for God’s grace, according to the National Catholic Reporter (NCR). However, the Church requires that these blessings never resemble or replace traditional matrimonial rites.
This requires same-sex couples to demonstrate that their relationship aligns with Catholic values. “Rites and prayers that could create confusion between what constitutes marriage, which is the ‘exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to the generation of children, ‘ — and what contradicts it are inadmissible,” the declaration states via NCR.
Catholics have mixed feelings about “Fiducia Supplicans.”
Since its release, “Fiducia Supplicans” has sparked both praise and backlash. Progressive Catholic groups have applauded the guidelines as a long-overdue pastoral embrace of LGBTQIA+ faithful. Many in the community had felt sidelined by earlier Church directives. Meanwhile, conservative bishops in Africa and other regions have openly rejected the guidelines, according to the NCR. They argue that even tightly regulated blessings could blur Catholic teaching on marriage and threaten local cultural values.
“The African bishops do not consider it appropriate for Africa to bless homosexual unions or same-sex couples because, in our context, this would cause confusion and would be in direct contradiction to the cultural ethos of African communities,” wrote Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu. He added, “We, African bishops, insist on the call for the conversion of all.”
Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, a member of Pope Francis’ council of cardinals, told La Stampa in May that he expects Pope Leo XIV to “re-interpret” the blessings document but not “abolish” it. “Pope Leo has said that the church is open to all,” said Hollerich. “This is a continuation of the approach of Francis, who used to repeat ‘Everyone, everyone, everyone,'” (via NCR).
Despite the vocal dissent, Vatican officials believe formally affirming same-sex blessings is essential to prevent a patchwork of inconsistent practices across dioceses. Leo XIV’s stance could mark a shift in the Vatican’s struggle to balance faith with cultural realities.
Can a pastoral blessing for same-sex couples truly coexist with Catholic teachings on marriage? Comment below!
