Vatican’s Document Addressing Pastoral Blessings

December 20, 2023

Vatican’s Document Addressing Pastoral Blessings

Archbishop Patrick C. Pinder, invites the faithful to find a clear and concise explanation of the recent Vatican declaration regarding the blessings to persons living in irregular unions, including same – sex relationships, in the statement from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The statement follows:

Tuesday, December 19, 2023
With respect to the Declaration “Fiducia supplicans” issued by the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the CCCB offered the following statement from Bishop William McGrattan, president of the CCCB.
“On 18 December 2023 the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released the Declaration Fiducia Supplicans, which responds to questions that had been raised regarding the possibility of offering blessings to persons living in irregular unions, including same-sex relationships. While explicitly affirming the Church’s traditional understanding of marriage, Fiducia Supplicans allows pastors to bless people who freely request a blessing, seeking divine help to live in fidelity to God’s will. The Declaration makes clear that such blessings must be directed to the persons themselves rather than their situation and that they must be spontaneously requested and are not ritual or liturgical actions.
The guiding principle in the Declaration is the fact that the very request for a blessing represents an openness to God’s mercy and can be an occasion for greater trust in God.”