German RC bishop authorizes same-sex blessings

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Speyer in southwestern Germany has given permission to his clergy to bless same-sex marriages and the marriages of divorced and remarried.

In a 2 Nov 2023 letter to clergy and lay pastoral workers Bishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann said the ceremony would not be a sacrament and must “differ from a church wedding ceremony in terms of words and signs and should explicitly reinforce the love, commitment, and mutual responsibility in the couple’s relationship as an act of blessing.”

The bishop called for the creation of a pastoral rite that would provide for the blessings “for various couple situations (remarried couples, same-sex couples, couples after civil marriage).”

The bishop stated: “Both with regard to believers whose marriages have broken down and who have remarried, and especially with regard to same-sex oriented people, it is urgently time — especially against the background of a long history of deep hurt — for a different perspective to find a pastoral attitude inspired by the Gospel, as many of you have been practicing for a long time.”

“That’s why I campaigned for a reassessment of homosexuality in Church teaching in the synodal way and also voted for the possibility of blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples. I stand by that. I hope that on the path of the global synod this pressing question of our time can also experience positive development.”

While the recently concluded synod on synodality in Rome did not address the issue of same-sex blessings, Pope Francis responded to a dubia, a question, from five conservative cardinals asking for a statement on the licitness of same-sex blessings. 

The pope said it was a matter of pastoral prudence to “properly discern whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or more people, that do not convey a misconception of marriage.” 

“Decisions that may be part of pastoral prudence in certain circumstances need not be transformed into a norm,” Francis wrote. “In other words, it is not appropriate for a diocese, a conference of bishops, or any other ecclesial structure to authorize constantly and officially procedures or rules for every type of affair.”

Bishop Wiesemann noted that no priest would be compelled to perform a same-sex blessing, but would nevertheless be asked to refer the couple to the dicoesan office.

“Many couples’ prayers for blessing reveal a deep longing to be able to live their lives together under the protection and guidance of God,” he wrote. 

“What is evident here is a longing for God that goes beyond boundaries that have been drawn so far. This is to be taken seriously and points to the biblical promise of God’s presence wherever there is goodness and love.”

Bishop Wiesemann noted: “With the possibility of blessing celebrations, we want to do justice to both God’s mercy and the situation of people.” 

“Let us take this path together and remain in dialogue.”