(LifeSiteNews) — Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the Holy See is continuing dialogue with the German bishops over blessings for same-sex “couples” and that it is too early to discuss sanctions.
On May 6, the Vatican’s Secretary of State stated in Rome that the Holy See does not currently intend to impose sanctions on German bishops who have introduced formalized blessings for same-sex “couples” in their dioceses.
“Now it is premature to speak about sanctions. We hope we never have to reach sanctions and that problems can be resolved peacefully, as should happen in the Church,” Parolin said.
Speaking to journalists during a book presentation at the Patristic Institute in Rome, Parolin said discussions between Rome and the German episcopate are still ongoing and emphasized that any eventual decision would belong to Pope Leo XIV.
Parolin stated that each side has expressed its own position and added that he believes a solution could still be found “within the framework of canon law, the Second Vatican Council, and the tradition of the Church.”
READ: SSPX statement: Vatican inaction on Germany’s same-sex ‘blessings’ has created a crisis
Several bishops belonging to the German Bishops’ Conference have formally authorized blessings for same-sex “couples” in their dioceses, citing the Vatican declaration Fiducia Supplicans as justification. The declaration, issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) in December 2023, allowed “non-liturgical blessings” for couples in irregular situations while excluding rites or ceremonies resembling marriage.
A 2024 letter from the DDF later circulated among Church officials and prohibited the use of formalized blessing practices for same-sex “couples.” During the return flight from Africa on his second apostolic journey, Pope Leo XIV recently expressed disagreement with German bishops concerning what he described as the “formalized blessing of couples beyond the limits established by Pope Francis.”
Parolin’s remarks come amid broader tensions between the Holy See and several ecclesial groups concerning questions of doctrine, canon law, and ecclesiastical discipline.
His comments on the German bishops were made only weeks after the Vatican warned the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) against planned episcopal consecrations without papal authorization.
On February 12, Father Davide Pagliarani, superior general of the Society of St. Pius X, met Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, in Rome. Contrary to the attitude advocated by Parolin, the Holy See warned the Society not to proceed with five planned episcopal consecrations without a pontifical mandate and indicated that such consecrations would be regarded as a schismatic act carrying “serious canonical consequences” for those involved.
Father Pagliarani responded on February 18 by welcoming renewed doctrinal discussions while reaffirming that the Society considers agreement on certain interpretations of the Second Vatican Council currently impossible. He also stated that the Society regarded the proposed episcopal consecrations as necessary to ensure continuity of its priestly and sacramental life.