(LifeSiteNews) — The head of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Franz Lackner, has contradicted his opinion that priests are not allowed to say “no” when asked to “bless” a homosexual couple.
“No personal obligation can be derived from a general openness [to bless same-sex couples] for each individual case,” a spokesperson for the archbishop declared yesterday.
On December 18, Lackner expressed his “joy” over the publication of Pope Francis’ Fiducia supplicans, a document that permits the “blessing” of homosexual couples under certain conditions.
When first asked by a journalist if priests will be obliged to “bless” same-sex couples, Lackner said that in sacramental and religious life, it is always difficult to speak of a “must.” However, he added, “Basically, you can no longer say no.”
However, the following day, Lackner appeared to backtrack or qualify his previous statements. In a response to a question by the Catholic news outlet kath.net, Lackner’s spokesperson said: “No personal obligation can be derived from a general openness [to bless same-sex couples] for each individual case.”
According to kath.net, the spokesperson neither said that the Archbishop retracted his previous declaration or nor addressed the apparent contradiction between the two statements.
When asked by kath.net if the same arguments brought forward to justify the “blessing” of same-sex couples may also be used to justify polygamy or child marriage, and whether the statements of the Catechism and the biblical truths on homosexuality still apply, Lackner’s spokesperson replied:
The elements of shared love, fidelity, and hardship that are mentioned, which can also be recognized in irregular partnerships, are elements that are also present in marriage. Where there is a positive resemblance to the ideal type provided by marriage, good things can be said about it. It is absurd to infer from these words an approval of polygamous marriages or even child marriages, which are always based on the exploitation of minors. The sacrament of marriage, the Church’s teaching on marriage, and also on non-marital forms of sexual cohabitation remain valid. Archbishop Lackner has repeatedly warned that there must be no confusion with the sacrament of marriage or the corresponding liturgical acts. This position is also clearly stated in ‘Fiducia supplicans’.
While Lackner argued that there are positive elements in “irregular” (including homosexual) relationships and that they may, therefore be “blessed” by a priest, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states that homosexual acts cannot be approved under any circumstances:
Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved. (Emphasis added, CCC 2357)
Whereas the German and Swiss Catholic bishops have also praised Fiducia supplicans, the bishop of Malawi and of Kazakhstan have forbidden priests in their countries to bless same sex couples.
READ: Swiss bishops welcome Pope Francis’ approval of ‘blessings’ for homosexual couples