(LifeSiteNews) – The Ukrainian Roman Catholic bishops have rejected Fiducia Supplicans’ permission to bless couples in irregular or same-sex unions.
In an interview that was published yesterday on the Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops of Ukraine’s website, a bishop indicated that Ukrainian priests will not bless couples in irregular or homosexual unions.
“I myself and any other priest will give a blessing, not to a couple, but to a specific person who has embarked on the path of conversion,” said Bishop Vitaliy Kryvytskyi of Kyiv–Zhytomyr.
“If a person comes to us who has a problem and is looking for a solution in accordance with the will of God, then he or she will certainly receive a blessing, but not as a couple living in concubinage.”
Kryvytskyi recalled that, as a teenager, he often witnessed priests refusing to bless trips or other events, and that people would be willing to change their plans if the priest thought they were harmful. Kryvytskyi emphasized that in Ukraine a blessing is always seen as approval.
“If you look at it from this point of view, it is clear that we are not talking about blessing couples living in a non-sacramental relationship and even more so when it comes to same-sex couples,” he said.
“The Church is obliged to bestow blessings in the name of God on individuals and certain groups of people: these can be groups of the elderly, the sick, pilgrims, volunteer groups, or defenders of our state. But people who live in sin are not something that God can bless; and so, of course, we will not do this either.”
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On Tuesday evening, the Ukrainian Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops released a statement criticizing Fiducia Supplicans, writing that its wording is ambiguous and problematic.
The bishops stated that “there is no blessing for living in sin” as a response to the new declaration. Although the Ukrainian episcopate notes that the document repeatedly stresses that there is no “legalization” of this type of relationship, it is concerned that the concept of “blessing” may be perceived by many as “permission.” Therefore, any movement towards changing the traditional order is considered controversial and dangerous.
The Ukrainian bishops observed that the new Vatican document examines the different types of blessings that can be given outside the liturgy and expands the understanding of extra-liturgical blessings which are generally offered to all people by introducing the possibility of blessing homosexual couples. They note that this “possibility” has stirred a storm of reactions and misunderstanding regarding the moral and doctrinal issues in the Catholic Church with such “blessings.”
This is because the concept of blessing is seen by many as permission, especially as “permission to sin.” While the entire document gives a clear understanding that there is no “permission” or “blessing” for homosexual cohabitation or any kind of life in sin, nor change in the Church’s traditional teaching on marriage, the notion of blessing same-sex couples, or even sacramentally unregulated couples, can be interpreted as legalizing these relationships.
The bishops also stated that the document emphasizes the boundless love of God for all people, including sinners, and demonstrates that the Church does not reject these individuals, namely, persons with homosexual tendencies or even commit homosexual acts. However, “it appears that the distinction between a person and his or her rank, the merciful acceptance of this person and the expressive disagreement with his or her sin, are not very clear in the text.”
The Ukrainian Catholic Bishops note that the declaration focuses on two categories of people: those living in non-sacramental relationships (men and women) and same-sex couples. As such, the document treats these two cases equally which in the opinion of Ukrainian Catholic Bishops is incorrect although both are gravely sinful.
The Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops of Ukraine sees danger in the ambiguous wording which can lead to divergent interpretation among the faithful. They observed that Fiducia supplicans is missing any call of sinners to conversion and that, without it, the ‘blessing’ offered may look like an approval. However, they emphasized that the document states that the blessing of same-sex couples does not equal a legalization of such kinds of cohabitation and that the teaching of the Catholic Church on the Sacrament of Matrimony, which is the union of a man and a woman, remains unchanged.
The recent Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) declaration Fiducia supplicans, approved by the Pope on December 18, 2023, sparked a controversy throughout the world. It has been criticized by the Bishops from Kazakhstan and Zambia while being applauded by the German bishops who had already approved this kind of “blessing” earlier this year. The Austrian and Swiss bishops have also welcomed the document.
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