Pope Francis opens the door to blessing same-sex couples, but without calling it marriage
It was foreseeable that the synod of bishops which starts this week in the Vatican, which among other thorny issues will debate how to welcome the group LGTBI or how to give a more relevant role to of, would raise certain blisters in the most conservative sector of the Church. But this important assembly has not even begun, which has already five ultraconservative cardinals, representatives of the minority opposed to Pope Francis, have challenged him again with a letter in which they ask him to clarify with a yes or no whether there will be changes in the doctrine on homosexuals or on the possibility of ordaining women. In his response, the Pope seems to imply that the open door to blessing homosexual couples in limited cases, without confusing this with marriage.
Bergoglio has opened the door during his first decade as pontiff to debate on aspects that, until now, seemed impossible within the heart of the Church. Just eight months ago she said in an interview with Associated Press that homosexuality “It was not a crime” and, above all, he focused the speech on dialogue and welcoming all believers, embracing diversity. Now he has done it again but the context is more relevant this time.
Thus, even before the start of Synod, Francisco responds by facing the issue of homosexuality and, although he continues to defend that wedding , as the Church understands it, is between a man and a woman, introduces a very notable nuance. Francisco now expresses that it should not be judged and is open to an internal debate to “discerning forms of blessing” for same-sex couples. “We cannot be judges who only deny, reject and exclude. Pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing that do not convey a misconception of marriage. Because when you ask for a blessing, you are expressing a request for help from God.", wrote Bergoglio in their responses. The message it seeks to convey is in line with what has been defended on numerous occasions during these years: The Church embraces diversity and is open to dialogue.
female priesthood
It also shows openness on the other great issue: opening the priesthood also to women. The pope, in addition to recalling in the responses to this document the importance of women within the Church, points out that his “no” to her priesthood “It is not a dogmatic definition” and opens the door to being an object of study, as in the case of women in the Anglican religion. During these years the pope francisco He has taken many steps in these aspects in his speech, talking about topics that until now seemed taboo. Even so, many experts still criticize the few steps taken by the Argentine pontiff in that line and request that he move from words to actions.
The five cardinals
There are five cardinals who caused this commotion in the Vatican, all retired and will not participate in the Synod assembly. The critical questions, specifically five named in Latin “dubia”, were sent to Bergoglio last July and dealt with some dogmas that the cardinals considered endangered by modernity in some cases used in their speech. The responses were published only a few hours before the great Catholic event and open the way for a debate that the Pope intends to deepen in this Synod.
The signatories are Walter Brandmuller, Leo Burke, Juan Sandoval Iñiguez, Robert Sarah Joseph Zen. Among them, the best known is Burke, of American origin and current patron emeritus of the Religious order of Malta who has been leading the opposition to Pope for years Francisco and already this month of August, in view of the Synod, he criticized the supposed “revolution” of the Argentine Pope within the Church. A few years ago he criticized Benedicto XVI for having opened, he said, the use of condom to contrast HIV.
