Reactions to the Vatican’s declaration allowing priests to bless same-sex couples and other Catholics living in “irregular” situations range from tepid acknowledgment to enthusiastic embrace to outright condemnation. Some Catholics see the move as a step forward for L.G.B.T. people in the church while others are worried about the possibility of schism. Source
Biblical Understanding of Blessings
The Bible’s idea and practice of blessings have a broad spectrum of meaning and practice. Issac gave the blessing intended for Esau to Jacob, the younger of his twin boys. When Esau found it out, he was furious and said in Genesis 27:37-40:
37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
38 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;
40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck. KJV
The blessing given by the father was irrevocable and left nothing for the oldest son. Earlier in the account, Esau had little interest in the birthright intended for the oldest son when he traded it to Joseph for a pot of porridge. We find the word blessed first used in the second first chapter of Genesis, verses 1-3:
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. KJV
By blessing the 7th day, He made it special, a day of rest and worship. It remains so to this day. The Jews in the New Testament thought so highly of the day that they had many complex rules against defiling it to the point of charging Jesus with Blasphemy for healing a person on that day. It remains the definition of a week on the calendar worldwide to this day.
In chapter 12 of Genesis, when God called Abraham to go to a new land, Canaan, God made promises to him in verses 2-3:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
We understand that Israel, the descendants of Abraham, fulfilled that promise of the blessing by being the conduit through which God revealed Himself to the world and ultimately through Jesus, who was the promised Messiah, the ultimate blessing to all who receive Him.
The opposite of blessing is introduced here as well, the curse. God promised to bless those who bless the Jews and curse those who curse the Jews.
In Deuteronomy 28, God provides a list of blessings for obedience in verses 1–14, followed by a list of curses for disobedience in verses 15–68.
God blesses and curses those he chooses. He is righteous and holy, incapable of sin, and thus, his choices are just and fair. Who are we to stand in judgment of Him?
In general, blessings are goodwill, good standing, and good things directed toward a person, usually by God. We can ask for His blessing; we can experience His blessings; we can request His blessings upon our projects, etc.
Numbers 6:22-27 – Moses recorded the Priestly Blessing often repeated at the conclusion of Christian worship services.
2 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them. KJV
The concept of asking for and offering blessings warrants much serious consideration. but let me get to my main point.
Catholic Understanding of Blessings
Let me be clear: I am not a Catholic, nor do I claim to be in any way an expert on their theology and practice but it is interesting to attempt a surface understanding of their doctrine of blessings.
So, I will offer a quick list of references for those who want to go deeper into the subject of Catholic doctrines of blessings:
Source 1 , Video 1, What is a Blessing? , Source 2 , Wikepedia
My Problem With The Pope’s Announcement as a Protestant
I respect the right of the Catholic Church to believe and practice their faith in any way it chooses. Obviously, I have no standing in this matter.
The objections from Catholics I read are mostly the dissonance caused by a practice of offering blessings or asking God to bless what God considers sin. It is incoherent.
However, it concerns me in one particular way. It involves the role of the Christian Church in a secular world. Aren’t we supposed to speak the truth and practice what we believe? Isn’t it our job to influence the secular world around us rather than be influenced by it? The constant creep of the secular world into the practice of the church is a genuine concern. There are beliefs and practices we dare not compromise to be more accommodating to our secular neighbors.
It reminds me of people who borrow money they don’t have to buy things they don’t need to impress their neighbors they don’t like. It signifies insecurity and a desire to be liked or tolerated.
To some respect, the Catholic Church is considered a standard in such matters, and many non-Catholic believers are apt to follow. This is a bad example.
Jesus Taught His Followers Differently
John 15:18-25
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’
James
James 4:4-8 New King James Version – Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
The church can yield to the wishes of its critics, bow to the humanists, and change how they think, believe, and behave, but the world will not be satisfied. If the church sacrifices its soul to impress the world, what message does it have for the world?
If we stand up for nothing, we will fall for anything.
One of the concerns of critics of the Pope’s policy is that it will lead to schisms in the church. For Protestants, it has already happened.
Some Protestant churches, Methodist in particular, have moved quicker and further than the Catholics have and have experienced the schism that predictably followed. Nearly 200 churches in Northeast Florida and 25% of congregations nationally have left the United Methodist Church due to perceived liberal views and practices. It has also happened in Georgia. And it can be costly for those who are removed from the denomination. They often have to buy the buildings they paid for and worshiped in from their denomination for years. Christianity Today reports that about 25% of churches decided to disaffiliate during a specific time frame.
There are financial implications for Methodists who wish to disaffiliate from the denomination. Source.
For the Catholic church, I have no idea how a local congregation could disaffiliate from the church at large. But that is a genuine concern.
The Pope’s action is simply a move towards acceptance of what God has declared unacceptable. We must not follow.
For more information on this matter, I recommend this video by Jonathan Chan, The Pope Francis End-Time Apostasy | Jonathan Cahn Prophetic
One response to “Blessing on Same-sex Couples Approved by the Catholic Church”
I agree with you that the Vatican’s openness to pronounce God’s blessings on same-sex couples (by priests) and other deviate perverted persons as defined by Scripture is shocking and must be condemned in the strongest way.
While the Vatican has opened this door, it is only a matter of time before open acceptance by many other churches will become their practice. Make no mistake – any church committing apostacy by “blessing” and/or accepting deviate behavior will be judged severely by God.
You mentioned the account of Isaac’s pronouncing the traditional blessing on Jacob rather than Esau. While Isaac was deceived, the blessing one given could not be taken back. Both sons eventually received some blessings – but there was never any peace in the family from that day on.
Other pronouncements of “Blessings” in Scripture where unacceptable behavior followed are numerous. God blessed David – a blessing that continues to this day, but does anyone want to go through the trauma experienced as a result of his behavior? Try Moses. God blessed him – but because of his disobedience, he was denied entrance to the promised land. From the corporate level – look at the nation of Israel. God blessed this nation time after time, but He also punished them every time they broke His laws.
The church that accepts Apostasy will be severely judged by God, regardless of his earlier blessings. But if history shows us anything, God is long suffering, patient and kind. So, to expect to see His judgment on such churches immediately may or may not happen. One thing we do know – the Catholic church continues to experience turmoil and many members are “members” in name only.
You (Kenneth) reported on the fracture in the Methodist church. And while they are loosing members by the millions, God is still blessing their congregations that remain true to the Scripture in practice.
On a personal level, whenever I encounter another person and they ask how I am doing, I usually respond, “I’m blessed” because God has truly blessed me. And when I disengage with another person, I may say Blessings, or Blessings on you, or God bless you. These are usually sincere responses. And while I may not be able to personally bless them, I may need to rethink my greetings in implying God’s blessings on others.
David.