The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) issued a clarification regarding the pastoral blessings for same-sex and irregular unions.
Published in six languages on January 4, the statement by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, head of the DDF, emphasizes the distinction between traditional Catholic marriage and the proposed brief, non-ritualized blessings.
These blessings, meant to last only 10 to 15 seconds, are envisioned as simple gestures of pastoral care, not as endorsements or validations of the recipients’ lifestyles.
Cardinal Fernández illustrated this with an example: “Let us imagine… a couple of divorced people, now in a new union, say to the priest: ‘Please give us a blessing, we cannot find work, he is very ill, we do not have a home and life is becoming very difficult: may God help us!’” In response, a priest might offer a quick prayer for peace, health, and alignment with God’s will, concluding with the Sign of the Cross.
The document upholds the Church’s traditional view on marriage, and explains pastors can offer these short blessings in a non-liturgical context, emphasizing their pastoral, rather than doctrinal, nature.
Cardinal Fernández’s statement also addresses concerns about the potential misinterpretation of these blessings. He asserts, “this non-ritualized form of blessing… does not intend to justify anything that is not morally acceptable.” The blessings are not intended for prominent places within sacred buildings or near altars, to avoid confusion with formal rites.
The DDF called for understanding and catechesis to help the faithful comprehend that these blessings are simple acts of pastoral closeness, not sacraments or formal rites.
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