Belgian Bishops Bless “Committed” Same-Sex Unions, Defying Vatican

Catholic bishops in Belgium have defied the Vatican and agreed to authorize prayer and blessings for “committed” same-sex partnerships, according to Gay Times.

The decision, which was announced in a document released by the Bishops’ Conference of Belgium September 20, outlined that Flemish Roman Catholic bishops have allowed the blessings of same-sex marriages. However, they stressed that this was not “what the church understands by a sacramental marriage.”

The blessing includes a ritual of prayer and a commitment to be faithful. The move is seen as a step toward becoming a “welcoming church that excludes no one.”

Willy Bombeek has been appointed to help oversee the care of LGBTQ+ Catholics. “I’m proud to belong to the Flemish Church,” He told Reuters. “I hope that religious people in other countries will also get to experience this, and hopefully, this is only the beginning.”

In March 2021, the Vatican ruled that the Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex unions as God “does not and cannot bless sin.”

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