Mean, little blessing

Mean, little blessing

Ursula Halligan of We Are Church Ireland was on the RTE Radio News on 19 December 2023 responding to the Vatican announcement on Blessings.

Ursula said she had mixed views on it.

She welcomed it as a small step in the right direction but said she also regarded it as:

“totally inadequate, and when you read the detail quite insulting”. She described it as a “mean, little blessing”.

Here’s a transcript of some of what she said:

“The Vatican is now saying that priests can bless same-sex couples. But only on condition that it’s “informal and spontaneous” - that the blessings do not signify approval of the union or look like marriages or occur within a liturgical celebration.

“So, it’s a mean little blessing and I predict it’s not going to wash with many Catholic gay couples who are in committed and loving relationships.

Anyone in a committed and loving relationship wants to celebrate it with their families - they want to shout it out from the highest mountain-top - they want to wear their best clothes - they want to talk about all that is good and wholesome in that relationship - They don’t want to be hidden from view; told to use the backdoor - told you can’t dress up - you mustn’t sing, dance or celebrate your love, the way other couples do.

So, it’s a mean little blessing that actually risks further stigmatising LGBT+ Catholic couples”.

The Vatican announcement comes with a long list of caveats:

• No ceremony

• No dressing up

• No prepared texts

• No celebration

Ursula praised and expressed admiration for Pope Francis and what he is doing to foster dialogue and discernment on these issues in the Church.

She said the Synod is only at the halfway stage. She predicted the Vatican will continue to tie itself up in knots until it addresses the Church’s core teachings on human sexuality in light of insights from science, psychology, sociology, theology and the reality of LGBT+ Catholic couples living in loving and committed relationships today.