A group of priests who have distanced themselves from the Catholic Church criticize the issue Recent Vatican decree that the Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex marriages. The initiative of Austrian priests, a group of priests leading a campaign of disobedience against the Vatican, said this week that they will continue to bless same-sex couples.
The initiative (also known as the Pfarrer-Initiative) said in a statement that its members “are deeply dismayed by the new Roman decree that seeks to ban the blessing of same-sex loving couples.”
“This is a relapse in time that we had hoped to overcome with Pope Francis,” the group’s statement continues. “In solidarity with so many, we will not reject any loving couple in the future who wants to celebrate God’s blessing, which they experience every day, in an ecclesiastical service.”
“Reality has long shown that connected same-sex couples in love can celebrate God’s blessing in the church. State-of-the-art theology establishes this responsible practice,” the statement said.
The initiative of Austrian priests was founded in 2006 by nine priests and now has about 350 members of the ranks of the Roman Catholic Church. Most of its members are from Austria, but the initiative has expanded to other countries. More than 3,000 people support the reform movement, led by Father Helmut Schüller.
The group’s call for disobedience seeks to reform the Catholic Church. In part, they would like to create a new image of a priest, so that a man or a woman, married or single, can act as a priest.
“The initiative of the Austrian priest is a movement across Austria of Roman Catholic priests and deacons who follow their conscience and campaign for new paths in the church,” the group said in a statement. “Its goals are: vibrant congregations, contemporary synodal church structures, and, most importantly, a credible, open-minded world church that focuses on sincere service to people.”
The group also said it protested “vehemently” against the assumption that same-sex couples are not part of God’s divine plan. “We deeply regret that this decree, which seeks to revive the spirit of bygone times, widens the gap between the Roman bureaucracy and the local church,” the group said. “This decree offends many Christians and obscures and discredits the liberating message of Jesus.”
The Vatican decree states that the Church cannot bless same-sex unions because God “cannot bless sin,” the Associated Press reports.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is the Vatican’s Orthodox office, published a two-page explanation published in seven languages and approved by Pope Francis.
The Vatican argues that gays should be treated with respect and dignity, however, homosexual sex is considered “intrinsically disordered.” In Catholicism, marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman, it is meant to create a new life and is part of God’s plan, according to the AP.