Priests can’t bless same-sex marriage, says Ghana’s Catholic bishops

Pope Francis has not permitted Roman Catholic priests to bless same-sex marriages, the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference has said.

It follows a widespread misconceptions arising from the publication of the document “Fiducia Supplicans” by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on 18 December 2023 which states that priest can bless same-sex couples .

However, a statement issued by the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference on Thursday (21 December) said the blessing, which the declaration says could be given to everyone refers to prayers that people may request for.

“Firstly, the declaration does not give Catholic priests the permission to bless same-sex marriages. This is clear from the following statements in the Declaration. In the introductory paragraph, the document says, ‘this Declaration remains firm on the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage, not allowing any type of liturgical rite or blessing similar to a liturgical rite that can create confusion”. The Declaration also defines marriage as the “exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to the generation of children” (par. 4). It adds that it is only in the context of marriage “that sexual relations find their natural, proper, and fully human meaning.

“The blessing which the Declaration says could be given to everyone refers to prayers that people may request for. For those in the state of sin, the prayers are meant to lead them to conversion. Therefore, the prayers for persons in same-sex relationships are not intended to legitimise their way of life, but to lead them on the path of conversion (cf. paragraphs 38, 42-45).”