German Church Defends Blessing Guide Amid Vatican Criticism
A key author of the guide from the German Catholic Bishops’ Conference about administering blessing, including to same-gender couples,, has pushed back against criticism from Pope Leo XIV and Vatican officials, saying he struggles to understand the backlash and believes the text may not have been read carefully by its critics.
Stefan Diefenbach
Stefan Diefenbach, a former priest who helped draft “Blessing Gives Strength to Love,” spoke to Christopher Brüwer from Katholisch.de after the guide drew criticism from Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The guide, published roughly a year ago, was designed to bring blessing practices for LGBTQ+ and civilly married couples in line with both the German Synodal Path’s decisions and the Vatican’s own declaration, Fiducia supplicans. Diefenbach acknowledged there was tension from the start.
“Ultimately, it’s like squaring the circle, and we knew we might encounter resistance at every turn,” Diefenbach said. “Many people worked very seriously, faithfully, and with a strong Catholic outlook—that is, with a view to the universal Church—on this guide, contributing their expertise and experience in theology and pastoral care.”
One central point of dispute is the depth of preparation for the act of blessing the guide recommends. Cardinal Fernández has indicated that blessings should be spontaneous and brief — around 10 to 15 seconds — while the German guide suggests prior consultation between pastor and couple, including the selection of music, prayers, and Scripture readings. Diefenbach defended the approach, arguing that couples deserve more than something “just thrown at them.”
While trying to maintain a level of dignity in the guide, and and at the same time trying to follow the standards of the Vatican’s approach, Diefenbach stated the guide had already been adapted to satisfy both the Synodal Path and Fiducia supplicans.
“We removed the word blessing ‘ceremony’ from many places because it seems to be a trigger word for the Vatican, and we didn’t want the entire text to fail because of this one word,” Diefenbach said.
Despite any adaptations he said the core spirit of the text remains intact.
When it comes to the broader tension between pastoral practice and Church doctrine, Diefenbach was direct in stating that pastoral care should lead and doctrine follow.
“We wouldn’t be here today if people – some of whom are venerated as saints – hadn’t taken a courageous step beyond the boundaries,” he said.
He expressed hope that German bishops would hold firm in upcoming talks with the Vatican, and welcomed signals from Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin of openness to dialogue.
“I hope that a genuine dialogue will take place and that the better arguments will prevail,” Diefenbach concluded.
—Matthew Gorczyka, New Ways Ministry, June 2, 2026
Back in 2015 I witnessed a same sex marriage. I had known both men for several years. I described the occasion as a civil event with religious overtones. The wedding took place in one of the men’s backyard garden. This was after same sex marriage was recognized in the US.
The two men wrote much of the ceremony themselves. I am sure I gave them a blessing. I also signed the marriage license. In the state where we were an ordained clergy person could be the state’s witness at a civil marriage.
This was also an ecumenical event. There was an Episcopal priest present from the Episcopal church the catholic man started attending after he was run off from the Catholic church he attended. He did not want to sign the marriage license because the Episcopal bishop in his diocese had not given permission to witness same sex marriages. Two other Episcopal bishops in that state had already given permission to witness same sex marriages. I stand with the German Catholic bishops and Stefan Diefenbach.
These same-sex blessings might lead people to think that a same-sex partnership which includes same-sex acts could lead to human flourishing! 🙂 The Vatican fears that we are going to discover that same-sex acts aren’t intrinsically disordered, and that, like any other sex act, they can be part of an intimate, loving, monogamous relationship that has been blessed by the Church. Think of what could happen if we actually started listening to same-sex couples! 🙂
Interesting to see how the German Church is handling this. Do you think it will influence other regions?