Mia Raspanti
Asst. News Editor
In a statement released by The Vatican on Monday, the Catholic Church denounced same-sex civil unions. The statement claimed that these unions are a “choice” and “sinful.” The Church said they “cannot be recognized as objectively ordered” to God’s plans.
In addition, Pope Francis signed a Vatican decree that would further solidify the Church’s stance on gay marriage and bars priests from blessing same-sex unions.
“God does not and cannot bless sin,” stated the Vatican. “It is not illicit to impart a blessing on relationships or partnerships, even stable, that involve sexual activity outside of marriage, as is the case of the unions between persons of the same sex.”
The Vatican also claims that members of the LGBTQ+ community may receive a blessing if they live their lives according to the Church’s teaching. However, they say that blessing same-sex unions would imply that the Catholic Church approves and encourages “a choice and a way of life that cannot be recognized as objectively ordered to the revealed plans of God.”
The Pope approved of the Vatican’s statement claiming it was “not intended to be a form of unjust discrimiantion, but rather a reminder of the truth of the liturgical rite.”
The Vatican’s statement contradicts the Pope’s prior welcoming messages towards members of the LGBTQ+ community. Last year, the Pope appeared in a documentary film during which he said, “Homosexuals have a right to be part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family.”
Following the release of the documentary, the Vatican’s Secretariat of State sent a letter to papal representatives around the world claiming the Pope’s comments were taken out of context. The letter said, “More than a year ago, during an interview, Pope Francis answered two different questions at two different times that, in the aforementioned documentary, were edited and published as a single answer without the proper contextualization, which has led to confusion.”
The hope to modernize the Catholic Church has been taken from supporters, therefore
strengthening the divide between the church and the LGBTQ+ community. Many have expressed
disappointment in this statement made by the Vatican, as they were led to believe that the church
was extending its open arms to those who identify as other sexualities.