The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has emphasised that Catholic priests are not authorised to bless same-sex marriages or unions.
In a statement responding to recent reports suggesting that Pope Francis had formally permitted Roman Catholic priests to bless same-sex unions, sparking various opinions on social media, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ghana says such reports are false.
In the statement dated December 21, 2023, the President of the Conference, Rev. Matthew Kofi Gyamfi, emphasised that the document from the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, titled “Fiducia Supplicans,” does not grant authority to Catholic priests for blessing same-sex marriages.
Rev. Gyamfi highlighted that the focus of the document is on the pastoral care of individuals in same-sex relationships, offering them spiritual support and guidance. He pointed out that the declaration distinguishes between liturgical (sacramental) blessings and pastoral blessings, which may be given to individuals seeking God’s loving graces in their lives.
“We, the members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, have seen the need to issue this statement in the wake of the publication on December 18, 2023, of a document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith entitled “Fiducia Supplicans” (Supplicating Trust: “On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings”). Following its publication, some TV and radio news items as well as posts on social media have falsely stated that Pope Francis has formally given Roman Catholic priests permission to bless same-sex marriages. This publication has caused a lot of consternation among many people, Catholics and non-Catholics alike. We would like to make the following points:
“Firstly, the Declaration does not give Catholic priests permission to bless same-sex marriages. This is clear from the following statements in the Declaration. In the introductory paragraph,” the document says,
“This Declaration remains firm on the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage, not allowing any type of liturgical rite or blessing similar to a liturgical rite that can create confusion.”
The Declaration also defines marriage as the “exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to the generation of children” (par. 4). It adds that it is only in the context of marriage “that sexual relations find their natural, proper, and fully human meaning,” the statement said
According to Rev. Gyamfi, the declaration acknowledges occasions when people spontaneously request a blessing from priests, whether on pilgrimages, at shrines, or even on the street. The statement clarifies that pastoral blessings “are meant for everyone; no one is to be excluded from them.”
He further explained that the declaration addresses the possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples without officially validating their status or altering the Church’s longstanding teaching on marriage. Rev. Gyamfi concluded by stating that the document emphasises that no one should be excluded from these pastoral blessings.
Read the full statement below:
