In an official declaration last year, the Pope approved Roman Catholic priests offering a “blessing” to same-sex couples “…as long as they are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies.” In short, a Catholic priest can extend a “blessing” to a same-sex couple but still cannot perform same-sex marriages or allow same-sex couples to participate in Holy Communion and other church sacraments. It was not an approval of gay marriage.
In Catholic doctrine, a “blessing” (known formally as a sacramental blessing) is “…a special prayer, action, or object which, through the prayers of the Church, prepares a person to receive grace and to better cooperate with it…Unlike a sacrament, a sacramental does not itself confer the grace of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, like a sacrament, a sacramental helps the faithful to sanctify each moment of life and to live in the paschal mystery of our Lord.”[1] There are two types of these blessings—invocative (granting some spiritual or temporal good without any change of condition, such as when a parent blesses a child), and constitutive (the permanent sanctification and dedication of a person or thing for some sacred purpose that cannot be returned to non-sacred or profane use). The priestly blessing of same-sex couples is invocative, in the same way a priest can bless animals, crops, homes, ships, pictures, etc.
More recently, the Pope made another official declaration rejecting transgenderism, which as one can imagine was met with vitriolic opposition. The key to Pope Francis’ declaration is “universal dignity,” based on God’s creation of humanity—that current gender theory stands in opposition to the beauty of “male and female”:
“…gender theory intends to deny the greatest possible difference that exists between living beings: sexual difference. This foundational difference is not only the greatest imaginable difference but is also the most beautiful and most powerful of them. In the male-female couple, this difference achieves the most marvelous of reciprocities. It thus becomes the source of that miracle that never ceases to surprise us: the arrival of new human beings in the world.”[2]
For those unfamiliar with Catholic Church doctrine, where Protestant doctrine is based solely on the 66 books of the Bible, Catholic doctrine is derived from the Bible (including the Apocrypha), Apostolic (Church) Tradition, and Papal Decrees. Each is believed to express Divine truth equally, and therefore Papal declarations are considered equal in authority to the Bible. This is where we get the idea of, and confusion regarding, Papal infallibility. The Pope is fallible, while his ex-cathedra (official) decrees are infallible.
But what’s the point here?
It’s difficult to escape the clamor of the LGBTQ+ community, which increasingly accuses people who disagree with their lifestyle of “hate speech” worthy of intimidation and punishment. The most vocal and influential in the LGBTQ+ community, along with its supporters, are not merely interested in normalizing LGBTQ+ lifestyles but assailing biblical values and the people who subscribe to them.
The Pope’s latest decree is a proverbial shot across the bow, particularly upsetting societies with hate speech laws punishing people for disagreeing with LGBTQ+ doctrines. These laws are akin to the blasphemy laws prevalent in Islamic nations, although not yet as harshly imposed. The Body of Christ as a people are being cornered by LGBTQ+ beliefs and policies, even if our disagreement with them includes being kind. To the LGBTQ+ community at large, being “kind” to and “disagreeing” with them are mutually exclusive.
For example, a gay acquaintance of mine explained that my being “kind” to him was like a Nazi soldier being “kind” to a Jew. Just as the “kindness” of the Nazi soldier is erased by his Nazi beliefs, my “kindness” toward the LGBTQ+ community is erased by my biblical beliefs. Of course, this is a painful example of false equivalency. Nazism is rooted in hatred; biblical Christianity is rooted in love.
Still, such a perspective is not completely incomprehensible to me. If I believed a person fundamentally did not have my best interests at heart, I would not likely trust their words or actions. What the papal decrees include, and what biblical Christians attempt to convey, is that none of us are perfect before God. We all need His love, grace, and mercy extended through His Son, Jesus Christ. Yet in the same authority in which His word declares this, it also declares that He created us a certain way, with dignity, to reveal our value and His glory.
The LGBTQ+ community has been incredibly successful at normalizing its beliefs and behaviors, particularly in the West. Yet the world at large remains deeply divided on the matter, much like American politics today, with each side moving further into its core beliefs. The Pope’s decrees, while important to the Catholic Church, served more broadly to highlight that divide. LGBTQ+ hate speech laws will continue to expand. Biblical Christians will increasingly be viewed with contempt. Americanized Christians will continue to embrace unbiblical beliefs and practices. Orthodox Muslims will continue to hold the line against anything that contradicts the teachings of Muhammad.
In this case, at least the Pope was courageous enough to reinforce the dignity of God’s intended creation, based on God’s word that stands immovable in the face of all opposition:
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)
FOOTNOTES
[1] https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/what-is-a-blessing-1172
[2] Declaration of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith “Dignitas Infinita” on Human Dignity, 08.04.2024, 54.
Pondering 