Contact: Ariel Gold | arielgold@forusa.org | (510) 599-5330
Bill McGarvey | billmcgarvey@forusa.org | (201) 725-4202
October 3, 2023 — As the oldest interfaith organization in the world, the Fellowship of Reconciliation welcomes and applauds the letter Pope Francis sent on Monday, October 3, 2023, suggesting that the Catholic church can bless same-sex unions.
While the Vatican still defines marriage as exclusively being between a man and a woman and has long opposed same-sex marriage, yesterday’s message from the Pope was a significant advancement towards the embrace of LGBTQ+ Catholics.
The Pope’s message, which was a letter in response to questions from Cardinals, affirmed that priests are not judges “who only deny, reject and exclude.” “Pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of benediction, requested by one or more persons, that do not transmit a mistaken conception of marriage,” he wrote. “Because when a benediction is requested, it is expressing a request for help from God, a plea to be able to live better, a trust in a father who can help us to live better.”
“As the executive director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation and someone of the Jewish faith, I am heartened to hear the Pope affirming that love is love in G-d’s eyes no matter the people’s gender, sexual preference, or religion,” said Ariel Gold. Catholicism, as well as Orthodox Jewry and other faiths and denominations, have a long way to go to become fully inclusive. But, the Pope’s message, which came about thanks in large part to the advocacy of the LGBTQ+ community, is a significant move in the direction of celebrating G-d’s love as a love that blesses without prejudice or discrimination.”
“As someone also rooted in and formed by Ignatian spirituality, and a commitment to faith doing justice, I appreciate the Pope’s affirmation of the inclusivity of benediction,” said FOR Director of Advancement, Dr. Anthony Nicotera. “The word is taken from the Latin bene, meaning ‘good,’ and dicta, meaning ‘to say.’ Thus, the Pope is affirming that the LGBTQI+ community, and same-sex unions rooted in God’s love, are worthy of blessing, worthy of having good things said about them. This is hopeful.”
The Pope’s letter addressing Catholic same-sex unions follows other Vatican advancements of LGBTQ+ rights: The Pope voicing support for civil laws to include legal benefits for same-sex unions; the blessing of same-sex unions by some Catholic priests in Europe without Vatican censure; and the Pope reaffirming in January 2023 that “being homosexual is not a crime.”
“I’m happy to see Pope Francis continuing to lead our Church toward loving pastoral practice with respect to same-sex couples, said FOR board member and member of the Catholic Worker movement Paul Magno.
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