Pope Francis urged Vatican bureaucrats Thursday to avoid “rigid ideological positions” that prevent them from understanding today’s reality, an appeal made days after he formally allowed priests to bless same-sex couples in a radical change of Vatican policy.
Francis used his annual Christmas greeting to the Holy See hierarchy to encourage the cardinals, bishops and laypeople who run the Vatican to hearken to each other and to others so that they can evolve to really offer service to the Catholic Church.
Speaking within the Hall of Blessings, Francis told them it was vital to maintain advancing and growing of their understanding of the reality. Fearfully sticking to rules may give the looks of avoiding problems but only finally ends up hurting the service that the Vatican Curia is known as to present the church, he said.
“Let us remain vigilant against rigid ideological positions that usually, under the guise of fine intentions, separate us from reality and stop us from moving forward,”the pope said. “We are called as a substitute to set out and journey, just like the Magi, following the sunshine that at all times desires to guide us on, at times along unexplored paths and recent roads.”
Francis’ annual appointment with members of the Vatican hierarchy got here the identical week he formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, so long as such blessings don’t give the impression of a bridal ceremony.
The approval, which Francis had hinted at earlier this 12 months, reversed a 2021 policy by the Vatican’s doctrine office, which flat-out barred such blessings on the grounds that God “doesn’t and can’t bless sin.”
The Vatican holds that gay people have to be treated with dignity and respect but that sexual relations between people of the identical sex is “intrinsically disordered.” Catholic teaching says that marriage is a lifelong union between a person and woman, is an element of God’s plan and is meant for the sake of making recent life.
Progressives and advocates for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion within the church hailed Francis’ declaration as a long-overdue gesture of welcome and acceptance. Conservatives and traditionalists have blasted it as contrary to biblical teachings about homosexuality.
Francis didn’t specifically mention the choice Thursday. He kepthis remarks vague and tied to the biblical story of the birth of Christ. Citing the teachings of the modernizing Second Vatican Council, he urged the assembled prelates to hearken to each other, discern decisions after which journey forward, without being tied to preconceived prejudices.
“It takes courage to journey, to maneuver forward,” he said. “Sixty years after the council, we’re still debating the division between progressives and conservatives. This isn’t difference. The real difference is between lovers and those that have lost that initial passion.”
The annual greeting is a high-profile event to which all Rome-based cardinals are invited. One conspicuous absence this 12 months was Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who was convicted over the weekend of embezzlement in a giant financial trial and sentenced to 5½ years in prison. He plans to appeal.
