Korean Priest Blesses LGBTQ+ Couple, While More Bishops Issue Condemnations

More than two months after Fiducia Supplicans was released, the debate over blessings persists, with some pastoral workers beginning to offer blessings, while in other cases, some bishops continue their resistance. Today’s post includes news stories and some commentaries on the topic.

Korean Priest and Couples Celebrate Blessings

Two couples in South Korea were blessed last month, in what is considered to be the country’s first public instance of such blessings. Hankyoreh reported:

“Arcus, an organization of LGBTQ+ Catholics and their allies in Korea, revealed on Monday that Rev. Lee Seung-bok Raphael of the Claretian Missionaries blessed the organization’s co-founder Chris and her partner Ari, as well as another same-sex couple, identified as Yoo-yeon and Yoon-hae, on Jan. 20. . .

“‘I felt like I had become an unwelcome intruder in the church, but I am happy to be back in the Lord’s presence through the blessing,’ shared Yoo-yeon about the experience. ‘I thank all the priests and sisters who are allies for opening up this path for us from the bottom of my heart.’

“Chris commented, ‘Unlike a marriage ceremony, pastoral blessings can be given to anyone any number of times. I hope that same-sex couples and clergy within the Korean Catholic church feel like they can ask for and give blessings as often as they want, without feeling too pressured.'”

Oregon Bishop, Other Prelates Still Condemning Blessings

In Oregon, Bishop Liam Cary of Baker issued a mid-February statement which banned all blessings for couples in “irregular” situations, same-gender and opposite-gender couples alike. Cary, citing opposition to Fiducia Supplicans in Africa, wrote, in part:

“If the priest complies with their request [to bless a couple], the subtle distinctions of Fiducia Supplicans will not keep bystanders from concluding that the Church the priest represents no longer believes as she always did before, but is now endorsing the unions of unmarried couples. That is not a message that I as bishop wish priests to be sending in the Diocese of Baker.”

Instead, Cary suggests individuals in such relationships be blessed with simple words that emphasize those requesting blessed “turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel.” The bishop adds at the end of his statement that God is “the Redeemer of Marriage, not its disabler.”

In Nigeria, the head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji of Owerri, condemned Fiducia Supplicans as harming the unity and wellbeing of the Catholic Church. He said it “added to our pains,” and he spoke positively of church leaders who opposed Pope Francis’ inclusive vision. Back in December, the Nigerian episcopate banned blessings for same-gender couples. Homosexuality is criminalized in the country.

Acknowledging LGBTQ+ People Is Progress

While much of the Fiducia Supplicans debate is about whether or not to perform blessings, some commentators have identified another positive aspect to the declaration: the church recognizing LGBTQ+ people in more honest, open terms.

Virginia Saldhana, a theologian and former leader for family and laity issues for Asia’s episcopal network, wrote in UCA News:

“From the earlier stance where the Church did not even acknowledge LGBTQ+ persons, now the Church takes a small step in recognizing their humanity and acknowledging their need for a relationship with a person of the same sex. . .[But if] the Church is not going to be the source of life in all its fullness to the LGBTQ+ community, where should its members go?”

Fr. Daniel Horan, OFM, also made this point in a previously covered essay. And Fr. Kevin Quinn, SJ, who serves in Jesuit provincial leadership, wrote in America that Fiducia Supplicans “real development” is focusing not on acts, but people. He explained:

“Pope Francis has shifted the focus of the church’s concern from the nature of the relationship itself to the couple involved. . .Moreover, he insists ‘in our relationships with people, we must not lose pastoral charity…. The defense of objective truth is not the only expression of this charity.’ In speaking of pastoral prudence and charity, Pope Francis is gently guiding the church away from what many consider the dogmatism of his cardinal interlocutors. . .The pope’s courage and compassion in promoting a pastoral approach to this contentious issue in the church is to be heartily applauded.”

Catholic LGBTQ+ Advocates Still Celebrating

In many places, Fiducia Supplicans is being celebrated by LGBTQ+ Catholics and allies:

Philippines: Two theologians, Raphael Yabut and Stephanie Ann Puen, wrote that the declaration “gives hope for a more inclusive church,” and in the future, could “even open the doors for a more robust and inclusive LGBTQIA+ ministry.” They express concern about some bishops interpreting it in negative ways, such as Archbishop Socrates Villegas who argued that a blessing asks God “to have pity on [the couple] and to give them the grace of conversion so that they can regularize their relationships.” Nonetheless, Yabut and Puen concluded:

“Fiducia Supplicans reminds us of the Filipino saying ‘malayo pa, pero malayo na.’ (“Still a long way to go but have already gone a long way.”) Certainly this document is a step forward in becoming more synodal, dialogical, and communal, grounded in Scripture and Tradition. “

South Africa: Fr. Russell Pollitt, SJ, director of the Jesuit Institute of South Africa and an LGBTQ+ advocate, said in a Crux interview that some African prelates’ resistance to Fiducia Supplicans was a matter of misplaced priorities. Asked what Pollitt would say to these clerics, he replied:

“I do believe that it is distracting from more important issues: Massive credibility issues such the abuse of power in the Church, abuse of children and women, denial when it comes to abuse on all fronts, a culture of secrecy, poor theological formation and a catechesis of clergy, the decline of belief in the world and the struggle in Africa to reconcile traditional cultures and the Church’s teachings, the fragility of celibacy amongst priests in the African church, financial mismanagement of both Church and donor funds, ongoing wars, growing gap between the rich and poor, the disastrous global leadership crisis…

“These seem to be issues that are, often, a thin line between life and death for ordinary people. Why so much energy on pastoral guidelines when these issues are, mostly, left poorly attended to?”

Canada: In Hamilton, Ontario, Deirdre Pike, a lesbian Catholic who works in ministry, described Fiducia Supplicans as a “monumental shift.” Pike detailed a bit of her journey, recounting how much the church has shifted on LGBTQ+ issues under Pope Francis:

“When my partner asked me to marry her in 2012, I told her I would need to wait until the Pope agreed to same-sex marriage. It wasn’t just a punchline with a stall tactic. I was committed to our relationship, but I was also a practicing Catholic as much as I was a practicing lesbian. I had no idea what saying ‘yes’ would mean liturgically and I wanted to be married in my church. . .

“Critics have been quick to point out the limitations of the blessing. It is on the people, not the union; the blessing may not be done within the context of a liturgy or ritual; and people are not to wear special clothing. Yes, all that is true, but it has not soured the taste of joy and mercy for me in this papal act of pastoral care.

“Renée and I have gone through many changes in our first decade of marriage as one would expect, but I never expected the church to make such a monumental shift in the same decade.”

United States: In Maine, the Catholic statewide network Becoming a Welcoming Community issued a statement, saying, in part, “[We are] Maine Catholics that love our Catholic church and love our LGBTQ family, friends and neighbors. . .We are encouraged by anything that will help bring them closer together.” Ryan Fecteau, a gay Catholic and former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, said Fiducia Supplicans “moves the needle to some extent, but the lesser status of same-sex couples persists.” He raised concerns that even if blessings are permissible, it is still on a couple to find a willing priest, which may not be easy in some areas.

In New Jersey, Fr. Alexander Santora, pastor of Church of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, Hoboken, and an LGBTQ+ advocate, wrote about how he planned to implement Fiducia Supplicans. The parish already has an LGBTQ+ ministry, and in view of the declaration, plans to expand its offerings. Santora wrote:

“During Lent, we plan to print excerpts from ‘Fiducia’ in the parish bulletin and preach about how its meaning can unfold in parish life. We have planned a town hall style meeting after the largest Sunday morning Mass. This kind of gathering is familiar to our parishioners, as we hosted about a dozens meetings as part of the Synod listening process. . .Every encyclical or letter from the pope is a teachable moment for the church, and it is important to invite people to learn about it apart from news headlines or online commentary.”

Santora also spoke about blessings in an interview with the Jesuitical podcast found here.

In Pennsylvania, members of Dignity/Philadelphia were hopeful that blessings were a step in the right direction. Michael Rocks, the group’s president, commended Pope Francis as a “great pope” and “the first one who has ever done anything to support the LGBT community.” Fr. Norman Simmons, who celebrates Mass for the group, added, “If God made us this way, he wants us to live out the fullness of our humanity, including our sexuality, and the church needs to come to recognize that.

This coming Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern U.S. Time, New Ways Ministry will host a webinar, “Being Blessed: The Challenge of Fiducia Supplicans,” to discuss the declaration and its reception globally. The panelists will be Xavier Montecel, a theologian who studies the interaction of liturgy and ethics; Yunuen Trujillo, who works on pastoral outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics; and SimonMary Aikhiokai, a theologian who studies religion, race, and decolonization across multiple contexts. The panelists’ remarks will be followed by a question and answer period.

For more information and to register, click here.

—Ariell Simon Watson (she/her) and Robert Shine (he/him), New Ways Ministry, February 22, 2024