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The Vatican announced last week that the Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex unions because God “cannot bless sin.” Experts explain what message is sent.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Holy See, subordinate to the Pope, has announced an official response to the question of whether the Catholic clergy can bless same-sex unions.
The Church does not consider homosexuality a sin
Franciscan priest Julius Sasnauskas explained to the tv3.lt news portal that by announcing that it would not bless sins, the Vatican was referring to gay marriages and not to the entire LGBT + community in general.
“That position has been expressed for a long time, I do not see anything new there that is different from what has been stated for centuries,” said the priest.
According to J. Sasnauskas, the Church does not consider homosexuality a disease or a sin.
“And that connection, that act, is not recognized because it does not lead to a new life, it does not mean procreation. That is the reason ”, said the Franciscan.
Promotes intolerance to the LGBT + community
Vladimir Simonko, leader of the Lithuanian Gay League (LGL), did not read anything new in the Vatican statement.
“The position of the Church, and especially the Church of Lithuania, is consistent and negative for a couple or marriage between two people of the same sex, and has not changed for many years. There is nothing fundamentally new, “Vladimir Simonko commented on the tv3.lt news portal.
In his opinion, although such a position by the Church is not new, such statements encourage intolerance in the LGBT + community.
“For quite some time, the position of the Church has been so categorical,” Simonko said.
The interlocutor recalled that the representatives of the Church responded quite actively and critically to 2019, the decision of the Constitutional Court through which it recognized the concept of family as gender neutral. This outraged a part of the Catholic community.
“Not many people have reacted and noticed that the Church is proactively interfering in the life of our community. Then I ask, as a representative of the LGBT community, why the Church is interfering in our community in such a way that the question arises whether Lithuania is a secular state or not. <...> I think it is a constant attempt by the Church to define its circle, where it still wants to influence ”, reasoned V. Simonko.
The Pope had spoken differently before
Such a statement from the Vatican, signed by Pope Francis, contradicts the words of the same pontiff earlier.
Last year, Francis said publicly that he was in favor of a same-sex civil union. These words of the Pope were echoed in the documentary “Francesco”.
“Homosexuals have the right to be in the family. They are children of God. We only need to have the civil union law for their relationship to be legalized,” Pope Francis said in the film.
2020 In November, the Vatican declared that Pope Francis’ comments on same-sex civil unions had been taken out of context by merging separate excerpts from old interviews into one documentary, but reaffirmed the pope’s view that same-sex couples Sex should receive legal protection.
Are Lithuanian Catholics more conservative than the Pope himself?
Marius Matijošaitis, a member of the Seimas and representative of Freedom Faction, evaluated the Church’s approach to homosexual unions and said it was reached by Pope Francis’ message earlier.
“I think the debate itself is good, focusing on human rights is a step forward, not a step back in our society. <...> As for me, the message of Pope Francis that he advocates for a civil union between people of the same sex in which all are children of God.
<...> I am glad that he maintains that principled viewpoint and advocates that homosexuals can be in a family, not in a marriage, but in a civil society. A very natural reaction of the modern church. Only the Lithuanian Catholic community is more conservative than the Pope himself, ”said M. Matijošaitis.
The politician said that the current Vatican statement does not refute the previous words of the Pope, because in sin the Holy See did not name the association but the marriage.
“If it is a sin to be married, then the Church has the right to express that position,” said a member of the Seimas.
Homosexual prayer groups are emerging
The priest J. Sasnauskas warns that the Church has not distanced itself from the LGBT + community, LGBT + community prayer groups are being established, as is the case in Vilnius.
“The church cannot marry, but it can communicate very closely without any exclusivity there,” said the Franciscan.
According to J. Sasnauskas, such examples exist in many Catholic countries, however, it generally depends on the local pastor of the community.
The priest said that some Protestant churches recognize homogeneous unions, but do not believe that Catholics will take this path in the near future.
“The Catholic Church doesn’t do that and I don’t think it will do that in the near future,” he said.
The church and the LGBT community, on different sides?
Simonko said he was noticing a change in the Church’s approach to homosexuality.
“But I see that there is also a certain resistance in the Church to these progressive changes. Then he would react by saying that there is one step forward and then two steps back. I would like to hope that over time the changes will be more progressive, ”said the LGL head.
However, Lithuanian religious communities do not show much support for the LGBT + community. This month, leaders of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Old Believers, Lutheran, Reformed and Greek Rite Catholic communities signed a joint statement expressing their opposition to the much-debated Istanbul Convention and legitimizing the association.
“Lithuanian traditional Christian communities do not support associations or other legal institutes that allow the acquisition of family status for those forms of coexistence that do not have the inherent characteristics of the essence of the family,” it is written.
“This position is critical enough, that it only adds kerosene to the solution of this problem. It is regrettable that the Church has not had the patience to observe the process from the sidelines. From this statement I understand that our community and the Church are on sides. different, “said V. Simonko.
Suggests that the Church listen to the needs of the LGBT + community
J. Sasnauskas stated that in the context of all the heated discussions about the concept of family, the recently repeated idea of Pope Francis about the need to take into account the needs of people awaits him. According to him, different groups in society have different needs that the Church must take into account, therefore, according to the priest, the Church must also listen to the needs of members of the LGBT + community.
“LGBT needs empathy, not a little cold respect, sort of, live, I know, just don’t show up. Surely even those parades are better than the passing refugee crowds. It’s better for the world, more joy and more hope than seeing thousands of refugees pass by with starving children.
<...> There are all kinds of forces in the Church, all kinds of like-minded people. Some perceive the power of Catholicism only as the preservation of various principles that must be defended, whether these dangers are real or not, ”said the priest.
Speaking about the heated discussions that prevail over partnership and the concept of family, Seimas member M. Matijošaitis states that our society is still learning to discuss such sensitive issues.
“They evoke those emotions, but we must distance ourselves from them and try to take those steps to accept all Lithuanian citizens, regardless of their various characteristics, both physical and social.” As we are small, we really need to unite, not divide ”, is convinced M. Matijošaitis.
The news portal tv3.lt recalls that in the document distributed, the Vatican takes the position that homosexuals should be treated with dignity and respect, but homosexual acts are “disorderly in nature.” According to Christian teaching, marriage between a man and a woman is part of a divine plan and is designed to create a new life.
According to the document, same-sex unions are not part of the divine plan and therefore the Church cannot be blessed.
“The existence of positive elements, in themselves appreciable and welcome, in such a relationship cannot justify this relationship and make it a legitimate theme of ecclesial blessing, since these positive elements are inseparable from the context of a union not established by the Creator plan. “said the explanatory document.
God “does not bless and cannot bless sin: he blesses sinful man to recognize that it is part of his plan of love and to allow him to be replaced,” he added.
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