Blessing of Gay Unions

On Monday the Vatican declared once again that homesexual unions can not be blessed by the church.

In the Article of Commentary on the Responsum ad dubium, 15.03.2021 it states…

The blessing of homosexual unions cannot be considered licit”. This statement in no way detracts from the human and Christian consideration in which the Church holds each person. So much so that the response to the dubium “does not preclude the blessings given to individual persons with homosexual inclinations who manifest the will to live in fidelity to the revealed plans of God as proposed by Church teaching”.

Mark Shea brings some light and clarity to this very difficult topic in a way that remains faithful to teachings of the church and the pastoral needs of the individual Catholic. Click on the link to read the whole article and his insightful commentary on the subject.

There is only one form of sexual expression compatible with the Tradition and there always has been: one man and one woman in indissoluble sacramental union open to the transmission of life. That is the sacrament of Marriage. It excludes not merely gay unions, but all heterosexual unions that do not fit that description, including adultery, polygamy and polyamory, fornication, prostitution, etc. Other filters apply as well, including such things as incest, age of consent, and so forth. But the point is simply that one of the core functions of the Church is to guard the sacraments, and Marriage is a sacrament. She can no more tailor the sacraments to the personal tastes of the flock than she can decree that since lots of people like cookies and milk better than they like bread and wine, the Eucharist can be celebrated using those elements instead.

Once you get this, the CDF’s response to the question of blessing gay unions, though a painful blow to gay Catholics, is not all that hard to understand. Nor is it (as we shall see) the end of the conversation, and that should be a hopeful thought.
Mark Shea, On the Question of Blessing Gay Unions (March 18, 2021) @ Stumbling Towards Heaven

And another thought on the matter from Patheos writer Mary Pezzulo

I have a message for the Catholics around me who responded to the Vatican statement on not blessing same sex unions yesterday, and to other such statements, by gloating. And to the people who gloat whenever the Vatican releases such a statement. Not to the people who just fully realize this was re-stating Church teaching and then go about their business, but to the people who were excited that it hurt the feelings of LGBTQ Catholics whether they’re living chastely or not.

Some LGBTQ Catholics are striving to live chastely alone or with partners they don’t have sex with– and yes, that’s been done throughout history as well. Some are in convents or monasteries or your church rectory, following the rules. And yes, some LGBTQ Catholics live in relationships the Church teaches are gravely sinful, and I’m not saying they should. Many heterosexual people also live together in partnerships the Church teaches us are gravely sinful. Think of all the Catholic couples who use birth control.