Pope Leo rejected the establishment of official rites of blessing for same-sex couples

Pope Leo has officially rejected the possibility of introducing church rites to bless same-sex unions, seeking to prevent internal polarization that threatens the unity of the Catholic Church. In his statement, the pontiff urged clergy to shift their focus from issues of sexuality to the defense of social justice.

According to Orthodoxia.info, the head of the Roman Catholic Church made the statement after returning from his trip to Africa. He emphasized that an excessive focus on sexual ethics provokes more disagreement than unity among the clergy. The Vatican has already informed the German side of its firm opposition and outlined “red lines” against attempts to institutionalize such practices.

This position was a response to the initiatives of the German hierarchy, in particular the decision of the Cardinal of Munich to issue a manual on the blessing of relationships outside the sacrament of marriage. The Pontiff recalled that the Church’s moral teaching cannot be limited exclusively to the sexual sphere, and the current agenda calls for a broader approach to matters of faith.

Under the current 2023 decision, priests retain the right to give only informal blessings to individuals. However, any ritual process that might mimic the sacrament of marriage is strictly forbidden. The main concept is to maintain the image of the Church, open to all, provided that the faithful strive for spiritual transformation according to canonical principles.

Recall, earlier it became known that Cardinal Reinhard Marx of the RCC, who has headed the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising since 2008, officially ordered the introduction of the practice of blessing same-sex couples and divorced Catholics who have entered into a second civil marriage.