Controversy Over Germany’s Blessings Guidelines Continues to Expand

Recent events have widened the gap between Germany and Rome regarding same-sex blessings, reports Katholische.de. New developments — including Pope Leo XIV’s comments in his interview with journalist Elise Ann Allen — forced the Chairman of the German bishops’ conference to respond during its September fall plenary meeting. 

In his first exclusive interview made public in September in a book published by Allen, Leo specifically mentioned the German bishops’ non-legally binding pastoral guidelines “Blessings for Couples Who Love Each Other”. The pope said that the provisions go far beyond those of the 2022 declaration from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), Fiducia supplicans, which permits spontaneous, pastoral blessings for all people regardless of their relationship status. 

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith

Subsequently, that dicastery’s prefect, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, gave an interview to the U.S. outlet The Pillar denying some German bishops’ claim that their guidelines were developed in “close consultation” with the DDF: 

“The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith sent a letter to the Liturgy Commission of the German Bishops’ Conference, pointing out that it cannot approve any form of ritualization of these blessings because any form of ritualization is expressly excluded in Fiducia supplicans.”

Bishop Georg Bätzing

At the close of the fall plenary assembly, the chairman of the German bishops’ conference, Bishop Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg refuted the idea that the German episcopate is rebelling against Rome:

“I clearly reject the insinuation that we in Germany are practicing episcopal disobedience toward Rome or embarking on a confrontational course with Rome.This is simply an unfounded construction and reflects neither my statement nor the efforts of all bishops.”

Bätzing had opened that same assembly with a direct acknowledgment of the Pope’s remarks, and a recommitment to the guidelines:

“The Pope made it unmistakably clear in the interview that Fiducia supplicans will not be withdrawn. The handout…is a pastoral concretization of Fiducia supplicans with a view to the situation in Germany. This is precisely what the German bishops have deliberately omitted.” 

Importantly, the guidelines are pastoral recommendations and not legally binding. However, when published in dioceses’ official gazettes, they take on the weight of law for the particular church jurisdiction. Most German dioceses have made the guidelines available in some unofficial capacity, though the Archdiocese of Cologne and four other dioceses refusedto recommend the guidelines. An additional three dioceses — Limburg, Trier, and Osnabrück — published the guidelines in the diocesan gazette, even in some cases supplementing them with additional proposals. This month, another diocese, that of Aachen also endowed the guidelines with legal force. 

A subsequent analysis article in Katholische.de observed: 

“What happens next after [Fernandez’s] clarification is a fascinating question, and not only for canon lawyers. The substantive tension between the Vatican declaration Fiducia supplicans and the legally non-binding German blessing guideline could probably have remained in the air for a long time without causing a conflagration. The Catholic Church is large and experienced enough to tacitly tolerate a certain degree of deviation.

“However, the situation is different where bishops have made the guidance legally binding by publishing it in the official gazette. Here, the Vatican would have leverage to take legal action against it. The fact that only a handful of bishops have dared to take this step so far suggests that the others are aware of this risk.”

—Jeromiah Taylor, New Ways Ministry, October 22, 2025