Germany: Promoting the Blessing of “Irregular” Couples

The "manual," as its subtitle indicates, was made public on April 22. Some conservative movements, such as Maria 1.0, question the timing and accuse the German bishops of taking advantage of the Holy See's vacancy to advance their interests, especially since they are required not to publish anything within the framework of the Synodal Committee without coordination with Rome. But beyond this possibility, which should not be rejected, the text is purely unacceptable.

The preamble extensively cites the Declaration Fiducia Supplicans and notes that "couples not married in church, divorced and remarried couples, as well as couples in all the diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities are a natural part of our society." The term "natural" is completely inaccurate, because it is not "nature" that is at issue, but the sinful will of man.

The text continues: "A significant number of these couples desire a blessing for their relationship. … Such a request is an expression of their gratitude for their love and an expression of their desire to build this love on their faith." This means, for the authors, that this love, contrary to the will of the Creator, is good.

To explain the origins of this manual, the authors recall that "the decision of the synodal assembly called for the rapid presentation of proposals jointly developed by the German Bishops' Conference and the ZdK for the general conditions and organization of blessings. This guide fulfills this mandate."

The manual explains that "the following advice can be given for practice." Thus, "both ordained ministers and those who have received an episcopal delegation for worship may perform these blessings," thus expanding the possibilities for blessing.

And it adds that those who "are convinced that they cannot reconcile a blessing with their conscience ... must direct the couple requesting the blessing to support persons." In other words, those who refuse to participate in blasphemy "must" collaborate. Such is the practice of the synodal committee.

The text urges "spontaneity" and specifies that "no approved liturgical celebration or prayer is planned for blessings." It also adds that "blessings must be conceived in such a way that there is no confusion with the liturgical celebration of the sacrament of marriage." 

The manual specifies that the couple must be "encouraged," and to this end, "all those participating in the blessing take part ...through acclamations, prayers, and songs." This is why the spontaneity of these blessings "must be combined with careful preparation." If the reader begins to find the text strange and contradictory, he is not mistaken.

And to top it all off, "The manner in which the blessing is conducted, the location, and the entire aesthetic, including the music and songs, must demonstrate the esteem in which the people requesting the blessing are valued, their interaction, and their faith." The location is not specified: it can be anywhere, even in a church.

Finally, and to add insult to injury, "biblical texts appropriate to the situation should therefore be recited and, if necessary, interpreted within the framework of the blessing.… The prayer of blessing ends with praise to God." Thus, Holy Scripture, which definitively condemns these sinful situations, is distorted to make people believe that it encourages them.

To summarize: these blessings must be respectful of sin; they must be spontaneous, but may take on a form that contradicts this free character; they must use Holy Scripture, the Word of God, to magnify a “love” that the Holy Spirit—Who inspired the sacred writers—unequivocally condemns.

Finally, for the German bishops, the sin in which all these couples live is completely ignored, or rather, it is approved, since the "love" that animates them is a value that can be built "on faith." There is nothing to be done; the German episcopate is at the very least in schism, and more certainly in heresy. There will be work for the future pope, unless he approves.