A group of priests who have distanced themselves from the Catholic Church are criticizing the Recent Vatican Decree that the Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex marriages. The Austrian Fathers’ Initiative, a group of priests who lead a disobedience campaign against the Vatican, said this week that it will continue to bless same-sex couples.
The initiative (also as the Pfarrer-Initiative) said in a statement that its members “are deeply shocked by the new Roman decree that wants to prohibit the blessing of couples who love the same sex”.
“This is a relapse in times that we hoped to overcome with Pope Francis”, continues the statement of the group. “In solidarity with so many, we will not reject any loving couple in the future who want to celebrate the blessing of God, which they experience every day, in a church service.”
“Reality has already shown that same-sex couples connected for love can very well celebrate God’s blessing in the church. A cutting-edge theology establishes this responsible practice,” says the statement.
The Austrian Fathers Initiative was founded in 2006 by nine priests and now has around 350 members of the Roman Catholic Church. Most of its members are from Austria, but the initiative has expanded to other countries. More than 3,000 people support the reform movement, led by Father Helmut Schüller.
The group’s call for disobedience aims to reform the Catholic Church. In part, they would like to create a new image of a priest, so that a man or woman, married or single, could serve as a priest.
“The Austrian Father’s Initiative is a movement of Roman Catholic priests and deacons across Austria who follow their conscience and campaign for new ways in the Church,” the group said in its statement. “Its objectives are: lively congregations, contemporary structures of the synodal church and, above all, a world church with credibility and an open mind that focuses on sincere service to people.”
The group also said it protests “vehemently” against the assumption that same-sex couples are not part of God’s divine plan. “We deeply regret that this decree, which aims to revive the spirit of times gone by, widens the gap between the Roman bureaucracy and the local Church,” said the group. “This decree offends many Christians and obscures and discredits Jesus’ liberating message.”
The Vatican decree states that the Church cannot bless same-sex unions, since God “cannot bless sin,” the Associated Press said. reports.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is the Vatican’s orthodox office, has published a two-page explanation published in seven languages and approved by Pope Francis.
The Vatican argues that gays should be treated with respect and dignity, however, gay sex is considered “intrinsically disordered”. In Catholicism, marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman, it aims to create a new life and is part of God’s plan, reports the AP.