A Catholic priest in New York, who has spent years as an advocate for the LGBTQ community, spoke lovingly about the moment he blessed his first same-sex union shortly after Pope Francis gave his approval.
‘May the Lord bless and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his countenance to you and give you joy and peace.’
‘And may almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen,’ Rev. James Martin told Damian Steidl Jack, 44, and Jason Steidl Jack, 38, on Tuesday, according to The New York Times.
Pope Francis formally approved letting Catholic priests bless same-sex couples, the Vatican announced Monday, a radical shift in policy that aimed at making the church more inclusive while maintaining its strict ban on gay marriage.
But while the Vatican statement was heralded by some as a step toward breaking down discrimination in the Catholic Church, some LGBTQ+ advocates warned it underscored the church’s idea that gay couples remain inferior to heterosexual partnerships.
Damian Steidl Jack, 44, and Jason Steidl Jack, 38, shown here at their 2022 wedding, had their union blessed in Manhattan on Tuesday
Jason Stiedl Jack, shown here with Rev. James Martin, said that the priest, who he has known for some time texted him shortly after the pope’s announcement to ask if he wanted his marriage blessed
Rev. Martin adhered to the new ruling when blessing Damian and Jason, he did not wear any robes or read from scripture during the blessing. The reverend has met with the pope on multiple occasions to discuss LGBQT issues within the church.
‘It was really nice to be able to do that publicly,’ Martin told the Times.
Jason went on to say that Rev. Martin texted him on Monday to see if he would like a blessing, shortly after Pope Francis’ announcement.
‘God’s grace is at work in our lives, whether the Vatican issues an announcement or not. But we are eager for the support of our communities and of our pastors who look after us,’ Jason said.
In Chicago, high-profile Catholic celebrant Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church told the Chicago Sun-Times that he’s received numerous requests for blessings since Monday but that he plans to put them off until 2024.
Rev. Pfleger, who has been in the public thanks to his efforts on eradicating poverty and gun-violence in this community, is steadfastly in support of the pope’s decision.
‘Some of the same people who say we shouldn’t be doing this get their pets blessed — their statues, medals and objects — but are upset with the blessings of human beings. It’s just saddening,’ he told the newspaper.
Parishioners Michael Thiry and Nate Washington, who are legally married, told the Sun-Times that Pfleger told them he would be ‘honored’ to bless their union.
Pope Francis formally approved letting Catholic priests bless same-sex couples, the Vatican announced Monday
In Chicago, high-profile Catholic celebrant Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church, shown here, told the Chicago Sun-Times that he’s received numerous requests for blessings
‘I asked him if this is something he’d be willing to do. He said he’d be honored,’ Thiry said.
‘He’s important to us. He is truly a man of God,’ Washington said.
The overall goal of the pope’s declaration is to make it abundantly clear to the couple and those around them that the blessing in no way resembles a marriage. This is because the Catholic Church teaches that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman.
Nothing has changed about the church’s position on marriage, its firm opposition to gay marriage, or its belief that any extramarital sex — gay or straight — is sinful.
The document from the Vatican’s doctrine office explicitly says priests can offer blessings to same-sex couples provided the blessings themselves don’t in any way resemble a marriage.
To avoid any confusion, the blessing should not be offered in conjunction with a civil union ceremony, gay or straight.
Nothing has changed about the Catholic Church’s firm opposition to gay marriage, or its teaching that homosexual acts are ‘intrinsically disordered.’
Rather, this new document aims to allow any couple in an ‘irregular union’ to seek and receive God’s love and mercy through a blessing. That can include LGBTQ+ couples, heterosexual couples who haven’t been married in the church.
These blessings can be offered during a visit to a Catholic shrine, during a meeting with a priest, a prayer recited in a group or during a pilgrimage. But they cannot be performed with ‘any clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding.’