Bishops in Belgium authorize prayer for committed gay couples – Detroit Catholic
BRUSSELS (CNS) ─ The Flemish-speaking bishops of
Belgium have appointed a contact person for ministry to and with gay Catholics
and have authorized prayer for committed gay couples on the condition it is
clear that it is not equivalent to a wedding blessing.
The
document, “Being pastorally close to homosexual persons: For a welcoming
church that excludes no one,” was dated Sept. 20 and posted on the website
of the Belgian bishops.
The
Flemish bishops include Cardinal Josef De Kesel of Mechelen-Brussels, Bishop
Johan Bonny of Antwerp, Bishop Lodewijk Aerts of Bruges, Bishop Lode Van Hecke
of Ghent and Bishop Patrick Hoogmartens of Hasselt.
The
document concludes with a sample “Prayer for love and faithfulness.”
“During
pastoral meetings,” the bishops said, “the request is often made for
a moment of prayer to ask that God bless and make endure their commitment of
love and fidelity.”
The “concrete content and form” of the prayer “is best discussed by
those involved and a pastoral leader,” the bishops said. The prayer should
take place “in all simplicity” and “the difference should remain
clear between that and what the church understands by a sacramental
marriage.”
The
sample “moment of prayer” in the document included a Scripture
reading and words by the couple expressing their desire for God to strengthen
their union and help them be always faithful to each other.
It
also included the possibility of a “prayer of the community” that “God’s grace may work in them to care for each another and for the broader
community in which they live” and would end with a blessing, although the
document did not specify whether it was a general blessing for everyone present
or a blessing of the couple.
The
then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in a March 2021 response to
questions, said the Catholic Church “does not have, and cannot have, the
power to bless” same-sex unions.
“It
is not licit to impart a blessing on relationships, or partnerships, even
stable, that involve sexual activity outside of marriage” between a man
and a woman “as is the case of the unions between persons of the same
sex,” the congregation said, adding that Pope Francis approved the
response.
To
bless same-sex unions would serve “to approve and encourage a choice and a
way of life that cannot be recognized as objectively ordered to the revealed
plans of God,” the doctrinal office said.
The
Vatican press office had no comment when asked about the Belgian bishops’
statement Sept. 20.
The
Flemish bishops said their pastoral approach in ministry to and with gay
Catholics is one of “encounter and conversation.”
“Believers
who are in a stable homosexual relationship desire respect and
appreciation,” they said. “It hurts when they feel that they do not
belong or are excluded.”
The
church in Belgian, the bishops said, has been trying for years “to create
a climate of respect, recognition and integration” and to welcome the
participation in church life of LGBTQ Catholics. To give that commitment a more
formal pastoral structure, they said, they have appointed Willy Bombeek to lead
a special office within the Interdiocesan Family Pastoral Service and have
asked each diocese to make a similar appointment.