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THE VARIOUS FACETS OF BLESSING

The Church can give the blessing, even among a thousand distinctions, also to those experiencing exceptional situations, particular or irregular. Particularly if these people are baptized in communion with the Church, even if they live in a vital situation that the Church considers wrong.

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The statement Begging for Confidence, dating back to December 2023, it concerned the possibility of blessing irregular and even same-sex couples.

The receipt thereof, immediately, must have elicited conflicting responses from the episcopate if already in January of the following year the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith felt the need to issue a press release with clarifications regarding the simple nature, informal and pastoral of the aforementioned blessings, without creating confusion with the doctrine regarding marriage and normal ritualized liturgical blessings. In the same context, mention was made of the possibility of a gradual acceptance of the Declaration or even its non-reception in the most delicate and difficult cases. However, its value was advocated, as an opportunity to listen to the requests that arise from the faithful and to offer them appropriate catechesis in this regard.

At the end of an article that appeared in this magazine of ours, in which the topic of homosexuality and the Bible was discussed (Who), it was hoped that the path of reflection on these issues would not be abandoned. With this writing, despite its brevity and inadequacy of the author, I would like to continue the task, answering the question whether it is right to give a spiritual good of the Church, how can it be a blessing, also to those who live in situations that we could define as particular, which constitutes an exception, if you really want to avoid the recurring term that refers to irregularity, starting from or extending what the Church already does in other situations.

In the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church we talk about the theme of intercommunion with separated brothers, especially the fee 844 addresses the topic concerning the administration of the Sacraments by a minister of the Church to the faithful who do not have full communion with the Catholic Church, the so-called Communication in the sacred. The text takes into consideration two categories of non-Catholic Christians: the «members of the Eastern Churches» (§ 3) and the "other Christians", that is, those belonging to Western Christian confessions, that is, those that have existed in the West since the time of the Reformation (§ 4). For both categories of Christians the text of the code states that «Catholic ministers lawfully administer the sacraments of penance, of the Eucharist and the anointing of the sick" (§§ 3-4). The same canon reiterates that both categories of Christians "do not have full communion with the Catholic Church" (§§ 3-4); which means - said positively - that these Christians are in true communion with the Catholic Church, even if not full (cf.. above all The light, n. 15; Reintegratio, NN. 3,1; 22,2).

More specifically the fee 844, § 4 demands that there must be a serious and urgent need for the administration of the Sacraments by the Catholic Church to non-Catholic Christians belonging to Western Confessions. However, the encyclical To be one, to the number 46 he also speaks of the existence of "special cases" e Church of the Eucharist, to the number 45, also mentions "special circumstances". Since the Code of Canon Law depends essentially on the Second Vatican Council, one cannot fail to mention what is the most important text on this topic, that is Reintegratio, all no. 8, which is thus expressed: «Intercommunion (in the Sacraments, n.d.r.) It depends above all on two principles: from the manifestation of the unity of the Church and from participation in the means of grace". The manifestation of unity mostly prohibits intercommunion. The participation of grace, the grace to be procured, sometimes he recommends it. Naturally the first principle serves to safeguard ecclesial communion and therefore the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, as if administering the Sacraments to Catholics and to those who are not were the same thing, because such is not, without penalty of misunderstanding. Therefore, believing that there is no difference between being or not being in communion with the Catholic Church would lead to disorientation and scandal.. On the other hand - and I recall here the words of Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Legal Texts —:

«The second principle recalls the need to confer grace on the part of the Catholic Church and not in just any way, but rather specifically through the administration of the Sacraments. And this applies not only to Catholic Christians, but for all the baptized, even for non-Catholics. This is the great teaching stated with clarity and conviction by the great text of Vatican II. Let's realize this carefully: Non-Catholic Christians have a spiritual need to receive the conferral of grace through the administration of the Sacraments. They therefore have the spiritual need to receive the Sacraments. We can also say that non-Catholic Christians have the right to receive the Sacraments. And the Catholic Church has the duty to administer the Sacraments to these Christians. We can consider all this as a simple determination of the principle of grace to be procured, where the gerund is noted as a sign of necessity" (edited by Andrea Tornielli, Who).

Taking the reasoning to the end, when asked if a married couple, one Catholic and the other not in full communion with the Church, by participating together in the Holy Mass they also wish to receive the Eucharist, this can be considered an exceptionality, if this corresponds to a spiritual need of the spouses who would otherwise experience that moment separately or not at all, abstaining from it; the expert Prelate responds thus:

«If the Catholic minister administered Holy Communion to the non-Catholic spouse, everyone could reasonably believe that this concession is determined by the just need not to separate a married couple, especially in such a special moment as participation in the sacrament of the Eucharist. All this can, Anyway, always be recalled through an explanatory catechesis given to the community of the faithful even on a recurring basis".

I don't want to dwell too much on this topic any longer, also because the focus, as mentioned initially, it's another. Many other things could be said because the topic is still studied and explored and I haven't mentioned it, just so I don't get too long, to the previous conditions or spiritual and mental dispositions that must be present in someone, even if not in full communion, the Church can, in specific and exceptional cases, receive the sacraments of grace from a Catholic minister. It is also clear that all this belongs to an area strictly regulated by Church law and cannot in any way be confused with forms of indiscriminate intercommunion or, worse, with Eucharistic celebrations that ignore full ecclesial communion and the validity of the priestly ministry. Precisely because it is a delicate matter, the reference to exceptional cases must never be taken as an ordinary criterion, but as confirmation of the fact that the Church, while firmly guarding the meaning of its spiritual goods, he never ceases to wonder how to obtain them, in permitted cases, for the salvation of all souls.

As you can imagine, all this reasoning that from the Council then landed in the Code, arises both from theological reflection on the spiritual goods of the Church which in themselves want to be lavished in abundance and can hardly be denied to those who trust, he asks for respect and good disposition, both from not being able to deny that the human situations that people experience in this world are multiple and varied. And the Church, which guards the treasures of divine grace, he can only wonder about this.

Returning then to the topic that started this writing, the answer can only be positive. The Church can give the blessing, even among a thousand distinctions, also to those experiencing exceptional situations, particular or irregular. Particularly if these people are baptized in communion with the Church, even if they live in a vital situation that the Church considers wrong. If they can, under the appropriate conditions, receive the Sacraments like all other baptized people e, we saw it, even those who belong to another confession and are unable to contact their ministers can do so, why not even a simple blessing that would only serve to reiterate what the Church has always done: reject sin, but to welcome and love the sinner, as the Lord taught? However, it remains necessary to clarify that such a blessing could never be correctly understood as confirmation, ratification or legitimization of the objective condition in which these people find themselves. If so, both the meaning of the blessing and the very truth of ecclesial pastoral care would be betrayed. The church, indeed, can bless the person who asks God for help, not sin as such, nor the claim that a situation contrary to his doctrine is thereby recognized as morally good or ecclesially legitimate. Precisely for this reason the blessing, if requested with faith and humility, it retains its meaning only if it remains a gesture of invocation, of trust and accompaniment, never of implicit consecration of a condition of life.

As the prefect of the Dicastery specified at the time for the Doctrine of the Faith in the press release referred to above, the purpose of the Declaration that, it must be admitted, someone had a bad stomach, was to highlight the value of the blessing for the Church, in order to arrive at a "broader understanding of the blessings and the proposal to increase pastoral blessings, which do not require the same conditions as blessings in a liturgical or ritual context".

No longer living in a Christianized context for a long time, the Church will increasingly encounter situations that are not regular according to doctrine. It will be able to entrench itself in a defensive position and simply take refuge behind the doctrine that recognizes the illicit nature of some human conditions, but that wouldn't say anything new about it. Or, following the example of his Master, will be able to recognize that a relationship is wrong, yet it preserves within it positive elements that cannot be denied and therefore why not pour on these situations "the oil of consolation and the wine of hope", even a simple informal blessing where requested with confidence? Also here, however, discernment remains decisive: it is one thing to pastorally help people who, even in an objectively disordered or irregular condition, they ask for spiritual help without claiming any legitimacy; it would be another thing to endorse, even if only indirectly, the claim that ecclesial welcome coincides with the recognition of their status as compliant with the Gospel. The mercy of the Church does not consist in obscuring the truth, but in accompanying people towards it with patience, without rejecting and humiliating anyone, but at the same time without distorting anything.

here it is, so, a small contribution to the reflection which has no pretensions, moved only by that spirit that lies behind Jesus' invitation to be a disciple "similar to a householder who extracts new and old things from his treasure" (Mt 13,52). For this, the Church's task is neither to close the door of grace to those who ask for it with sincere trust, nor confuse mercy with the legitimation of what remains contrary to the Gospel, but to safeguard truth and charity together, so that every pastoral gesture is an authentic help for people and never an occasion for misunderstanding regarding doctrine. All of this, without ever losing sight of the very essence of the mission entrusted to us by Christ with precise words:

«It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners " (Mt 9, 12-13).

From the Hermitage, 19 March 2026

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THE VARIOUS FACETS OF BLESSING

The Church can grant a blessing, albeit with many distinctions, even to those who live in exceptional, particular or irregular situations. Especially if these persons are baptized in communion with the Church, even if they live in a life situation that the Church considers erroneous.

.

The Declaration Begging for Confidence, issued in December 2023, concerned the possibility of blessing irregular couples and even same-sex couples. Its reception, at least initially, must have elicited contrasting responses within the episcopate, if already in January of the following year the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith felt the need to issue a press release with clarifications regarding the simple, informal and pastoral character of such blessings, so as not to create confusion with the doctrine concerning marriage and with the ordinary ritual liturgical blessings. In the same context, reference was made to the possibility of a gradual acceptance of the Declaration or even to its non-reception in the most delicate and difficult cases. Nevertheless, its value was encouraged, as a way of remaining attentive to the requests arising from the faithful and of offering them an appropriate catechesis on the matter.

Toward the end of an article published in this same journal, which dealt with the theme of homosexuality and the Bible (Here), the hope was expressed that the path of reflection on these themes would not be abandoned. With the present text, despite its brevity and the inadequacy of its author, I would like to continue this task by responding to the question of whether it is right to grant a spiritual good of the Church, such as a blessing, even to those who live in a situation that we might define as particular — an exception, if one wishes to avoid the recurring term that refers to irregularity — starting from, or extending, what the Church already does in other situations.

In the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church the question of intercommunion with separated brethren is addressed; in particular, canon 844 deals with the administration of the Sacraments by a minister of the Church to the faithful who are not in full communion with the Catholic Church, the so-called Communication in the sacred. The text considers two categories of non-Catholic Christians: the “members of the Eastern Churches” (§ 3) and “other Christians,” that is, those belonging to Western Christian confessions, namely those existing in the West since the time of the Reformation (§ 4). For both categories the canonical text states that “Catholic ministers administer licitly the sacraments of penance, the Eucharist and the anointing of the sick” (§§ 3–4). Concerning both categories the same canon reiterates that they “are not in full communion with the Catholic Church” (§§ 3–4); which means — stated positively — that these Christians are in a true, though not full, communion with the Catholic Church (cf. especially The light, n. 15; Reintegratio, NN. 3,1; 22,2).

More specifically, canon 844 § 4 requires that for the administration of the Sacraments by the Catholic Church to non-Catholic Christians belonging to Western confessions there must be a grave and urgent necessity. However, the encyclical To be one, in no. 46, also speaks of the existence of “particular cases,” and Church of the Eucharist, in no. 45, likewise refers to “special circumstances.” Since the Code of Canon Law depends essentially on the Second Vatican Council, one cannot fail to mention what is the most important text on this subject, namely Reintegratio, no. 8, which states: “The sharing in the Sacraments (Communication in the sacred) depends chiefly on two principles: the manifestation of the unity of the Church and the sharing in the means of grace.” The manifestation of unity generally forbids intercommunion. The sharing in grace, the they procure graceit gives, sometimes recommends it. Naturally, the first principle serves to safeguard ecclesial communion and to avoid the danger of error or indifferentism, as if administering the Sacraments to Catholics and to those who are not were the same thing, which it is not, without giving rise to misunderstanding. To maintain that there is no difference between being or not being in communion with the Catholic Church would lead to confusion and scandal. On the other hand — and I recall here the words of Cardinal Coccopalmerio, emeritus president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts —:

“The second principle recalls the necessity for the Catholic Church to confer grace not in just any way, but in a specific way through the administration of the Sacraments. And this applies not only to Catholic Christians, but to all the baptized, including non-Catholics. This is the great teaching affirmed with clarity and conviction by the great texts of Vatican II. Let us be fully aware: non-Catholic Christians have a spiritual need to receive the conferral of grace through the administration of the Sacraments. They therefore have a spiritual need to receive the Sacraments. We can also say that non-Catholic Christians have the right to receive the Sacraments. And the Catholic Church has the duty to administer the Sacraments to these Christians. All this can be understood as a concrete application of the principle of grace to be procured, note the gerund, which indicates necessity” (edited by Andrea Tornielli, here).

Carrying the reasoning through to its conclusion, one may ask whether a married couple, one Catholic and the other not in full communion with the Church, participating together in Holy Mass and desiring also to receive the Eucharist, might constitute an exceptional case — if this corresponds to a spiritual need of the spouses, who would otherwise experience that moment as separated or would not experience it at all, abstaining from it. The expert prelate responds as follows:

“If the Catholic minister were to administer Holy Communion to the non-Catholic spouse, everyone could reasonably consider that such a concession is determined by the just necessity of not separating a married couple, especially at such a special moment as participation in the sacrament of the Eucharist. All this can, in any case, always be clarified through an explanatory catechesis offered to the community of the faithful, even on a recurring basis.”

I do not wish to dwell too long on this topic, also because the focus, as mentioned at the beginning, is another. Much more could be said, since the matter is still being studied and deepened, and I have not mentioned — precisely in order not to prolong the discussion — the prior conditions or the spiritual dispositions that must be present in those who, although not in full communion with the Church, may in specific and exceptional cases receive from a Catholic minister the sacraments of grace. It is also evident that all this belongs to a sphere rigorously regulated by the law of the Church and cannot in any way be confused with forms of indiscriminate intercommunion or, worse, with Eucharistic celebrations that disregard full ecclesial communion and the validity of the priestly ministry. Precisely because this is a delicate matter, reference to exceptional cases must never be taken as an ordinary criterion, but as confirmation that the Church, while firmly safeguarding the meaning of her spiritual goods, does not cease to question how to provide them, where permitted, for the salvation of all souls.

As one can imagine, all this reasoning — which from the Council has found its way into the Code — arises both from theological reflection on the spiritual goods of the Church, which by their nature are meant to be poured out abundantly and can hardly be denied to those who request them with trust, respect and proper disposition, and from the recognition that the human situations people experience in this world are manifold and varied. And the Church, which safeguards the treasures of divine grace, cannot but reflect on this.

Returning therefore to the question that gave rise to this text, the answer can only be affirmative. The Church can grant a blessing, albeit with many distinctions, even to those who live in exceptional, particular or irregular situations. Especially if these persons are baptized in communion with the Church, even if they live in a life situation that the Church considers erroneous. If they can, under the proper conditions, receive the Sacraments like all the other baptized — and, as we have seen, even those belonging to another confession can do so when they are unable to turn to their own ministers — why not also a simple blessing, which would serve only to reaffirm what the Church has always done: reject sin but welcome and love the sinner, as the Lord has taught?

It remains necessary, however, to clarify that such a blessing could never rightly be understood as a confirmation, ratification or legitimation of the objective condition in which such persons find themselves. If that were the case, both the meaning of the blessing and the truth of ecclesial pastoral care would be betrayed. The Church, in fact, can bless the person who asks God for help, not sin as such, nor the claim that a situation contrary to her doctrine should thereby be recognized as morally good or ecclesially legitimate. Precisely for this reason the blessing, if requested with faith and humility, preserves its meaning only if it remains an act of invocation, of entrustment and of accompaniment, never of implicit consecration of a state of life.

As was specified at the time by the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in the above-mentioned press release, the purpose of the Declaration — which, it must be admitted, some have found difficult to accept — was to highlight the value of blessing for the Church, in order to arrive at “a broader understanding of blessings and the proposal to increase pastoral blessings, which do not require the same conditions as blessings in a liturgical or ritual context.”

Since we no longer live in a Christianized context, the Church will increasingly encounter situations that are not regular according to doctrine. She may take refuge in a defensive position and simply entrench herself behind doctrine, which recognizes the unlawfulness of certain human conditions, but this would say nothing new. Or, following the example of her Master, she may acknowledge that a relationship is erroneous and yet contains within itself positive elements that cannot be denied, and therefore why not pour upon these situations “the oil of consolation and the wine of hope,” even a simple informal blessing when requested with trust?

Here too, however, discernment remains decisive: one thing is to offer pastoral assistance to persons who, though in an objectively disordered or irregular condition, ask for spiritual help without claiming any form of legitimation; another would be to endorse, even indirectly, the claim that ecclesial welcome coincides with recognizing their condition as in conformity with the Gospel. The Church’s mercy does not consist in obscuring the truth, but in accompanying persons toward it with patience, without rejecting or humiliating anyone, while at the same time falsifying nothing.

Here, then, is a small contribution to a reflection that makes no claim to completeness, moved only by that spirit which lies behind Jesus’ invitation to be a disciple “like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old” (Mt 13:52). Precisely for this reason, the task of the Church is neither to close the door of grace to those who ask for it with sincere trust, nor to confuse mercy with the legitimation of what remains contrary to the Gospel, but to safeguard together truth and charity, so that every pastoral act may be a genuine help to persons and never an occasion for misunderstanding concerning doctrine. All this without ever losing sight of the very essence of the mission entrusted to us by Christ in these precise words:

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mt 9:12–13).

From the Hermitage, March 19, 2026

.

THE VARIOUS FACETS OF BLESSING

The Church can give the blessing, although with many distinctions, also to those who live in exceptional situations, private or irregular. Particularly if these people are baptized in communion with the Church, even if they live a life situation that the Church considers erroneous.

.

The Declaration Begging for Confidence, December 2023, It referred to the possibility of blessing irregular couples and even same-sex couples.. Your reception, at first, must have provoked contrasting responses in the episcopate, If already in January of the following year the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith felt the need to issue a statement with details about the simple nature, informal and pastoral of said blessings, without creating confusion with the doctrine regarding marriage or with ritualized liturgical blessings. In the same context, reference was made to the possibility of a gradual acceptance of the Declaration or even its non-reception in the most delicate and difficult cases.. However, its value was emphasized, as the possibility of remaining attentive to the requests that arise from the faithful and of offering them an adequate catechesis in this regard.

Towards the end of an article published in this same magazine, which dealt with the topic of homosexuality and the Bible (Here), The wish was expressed that the path of reflection on these questions would not be abandoned. With this writing, despite its brevity and the insufficiency of its author, I would like to continue this task, answering the question of whether it is fair to grant a spiritual good to the Church, How can the blessing be?, also to those who live in a situation that we could define as particular, which constitutes an exception - if you want to avoid the recurring term that refers to irregularity - starting from what the Church already does in other situations or extending it.

In the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church The issue of intercommunion with separated brothers is discussed; in particular, the canon 844 addresses the question of the administration of the Sacraments by a minister of the Church to the faithful who are not in full communion with the Catholic Church, la llamada communion in the sacred. The text considers two categories of non-Catholic Christians: the "members of the Eastern Churches" (§ 3) and "the other Christians", that is to say, those belonging to Western Christian denominations, those that have existed in the West since the time of the Reformation (§ 4). For both categories the canonical text states that "Catholic ministers licitly administer the sacraments of penance.", of the Eucharist and the anointing of the sick" (§§ 3-4). Of both categories, the same canon reaffirms that "they are not in full communion with the Catholic Church." (§§ 3-4); which means — said positively — that these Christians are in true communion with the Catholic Church, although not complete (cf. especially The light, n. 15; Reintegratio, NN. 3,1; 22,2).

More particularly, the canon 844 § 4 demand that, for the administration of the Sacraments by the Catholic Church to non-Catholic Christians belonging to Western confessions, there must be a serious and urgent need. However, the encyclical To be one, in the number 46, also speaks of the existence of "particular cases", and Church of the Eucharist, in the number 45, also refers to "special circumstances". Since the Code of Canon Law essentially depends on the Second Vatican Council, one cannot fail to mention the most important text on this topic, that is to say, Reintegratio, n. 8, that is how it is expressed: «The intercommunion (in the Sacraments) It depends above all on two principles: "of the manifestation of the unity of the Church and of participation in the means of grace". The manifestation of unity usually prohibits intercommunion. Participation in grace, the grace to be procured, sometimes he recommends it.

Naturally, the first principle serves to safeguard ecclesial communion and avoid the danger of error or indifferentism, as if administering the Sacraments to Catholics and those who are not Catholics were the same, which is not, without risk of misunderstanding. Maintaining that there is no difference between being in communion with the Catholic Church or not would lead to disorientation and scandal.. On the other hand - and I return here to the words of Cardinal Coccopalmerio, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts —:

«The second principle recalls the need to confer grace on the part of the Catholic Church not in any way, but specifically through the administration of the Sacraments. And this applies not only to Catholic Christians., but for all the baptized, also for non-Catholics. This is the great teaching affirmed with clarity and conviction by the great text of Vatican II. Let us be fully aware: Non-Catholic Christians have a spiritual need to receive grace through the administration of the Sacraments. Have, therefore, the spiritual need to receive the Sacraments. We can also say that non-Catholic Christians have the right to receive the Sacraments. And the Catholic Church has the duty to administer them to these Christians.. All this can be considered as a concrete determination of the principle of grace to be procured, observe the gerund as a sign of necessity» (edited by Andrea Tornielli, here).

Taking reasoning to its ultimate consequences, When asked if a married couple, one Catholic and the other not in full communion with the Church, participating together in the Holy Mass and also wishing to receive the Eucharist, may constitute an exceptional case - if this responds to a spiritual need of the spouses who would otherwise live that moment apart or would not live it at all -, the expert prelate responds like this:

"If the Catholic minister were to administer Holy Communion to the non-Catholic spouse, everyone could reasonably consider that such a concession is determined by the just need not to separate a married couple, especially in such a special moment as participation in the sacrament of the Eucharist. All this can, in any case, always be clarified through an explanatory catechesis offered to the community of the faithful, even recurrently.

I don't want to go into too much detail on this topic., also because the focus, as indicated at the beginning, is another. Many other things could be said, since the issue continues to be the subject of study and deepening, and I have not mentioned - precisely so as not to lengthen - the preconditions or spiritual dispositions that must be present in whoever, even though they are not in full communion with the Church, can, in specific and exceptional cases, receive the sacraments of grace from a Catholic minister. It is also evident that all this belongs to an area rigorously regulated by the law of the Church and cannot in any way be confused with forms of indiscriminate intercommunion or, even worse, with Eucharistic celebrations that disregard full ecclesial communion and the validity of the priestly ministry. Precisely because it is a delicate matter, The reference to exceptional cases should never be assumed as an ordinary criterion, but as confirmation that the Church, still firmly guarding the meaning of their spiritual goods, You keep wondering how to get them, in permitted cases, for the salvation of all souls.

As you can imagine, All this reasoning - which since the Council has passed into the Code - arises both from theological reflection on the spiritual goods of the Church, who by their very nature want to be poured out in abundance and can hardly refuse those who ask for them with confidence, respect and good disposition, as well as the fact that the human situations that people live in this world are multiple and varied.. and the Church, that guards the treasures of divine grace, You can't help but wonder about it..

coming back, therefore, to the topic that gave rise to this writing, The answer cannot but be affirmative.. The Church can give the blessing, although with many distinctions, also to those who live in exceptional situations, private or irregular. Particularly if these people are baptized in communion with the Church, even if they live a life situation that the Church considers erroneous. If they can, in proper conditions, receive the Sacraments like all other baptized people — and, as we have seen, even those belonging to another denomination can do so when they cannot turn to their own ministers —, why not also a simple blessing, that would only serve to reaffirm what the Church has always done: reject sin, but welcome and love the sinner, as the Lord has taught?

However, It is necessary to specify that a blessing of this type could never be correctly understood as confirmation, ratification or legitimation of the objective condition in which such people find themselves. If so, both the meaning of the blessing and the very truth of ecclesial pastoral care would be betrayed.. The Church can bless the person who asks God for help, not sin as such, nor the claim that a situation contrary to its doctrine be recognized as morally good or ecclesially legitimate. Precisely for this reason, the blessing, if asked with faith and humility, retains its meaning only if it remains as a gesture of invocation, of trust and support, never as an implicit consecration of a condition of life.

As the prefect of the Dicastery specified at the time for the Doctrine of the Faith in the aforementioned statement, the objective of the Declaration — that, you have to admit it, some have digested poorly — was to highlight the value of the blessing for the Church, in order to arrive at a "broader understanding of the blessings and the proposal to increase pastoral blessings, "that do not require the same conditions as blessings in a liturgical or ritual context".

By not living for a long time in a Christianized context, The Church will increasingly encounter situations that do not conform to doctrine. He may entrench himself in a defensive position and limit himself to taking refuge behind the doctrine that recognizes the illegality of certain human conditions., but this wouldn't say anything new. Or, following the example of his Master, You will be able to recognize that a relationship is wrong and, however, It contains positive elements within it that cannot be denied., And then why not pour out “the oil of consolation and the wine of hope” on these situations?, even with a simple informal blessing, if requested with confidence?

Also here, however, discernment remains decisive: It is one thing to pastorally accompany people who, even in an objectively disordered or irregular condition, They ask for spiritual help without seeking any legitimacy; another thing would be to endorse, even indirectly, the claim that ecclesial welcome coincides with the recognition of its state as conforming to the Gospel. The mercy of the Church does not consist in obscuring the truth, but in accompanying people towards it with patience, without rejecting or humiliating anyone, but at the same time without falsifying anything.

Behold, well, a small contribution to reflection that has no pretensions, moved only by that spirit that is behind Jesus' invitation to be a disciple "similar to a householder who brings out of his treasure new things and old things" (Mt 13,52). Precisely for that reason, The task of the Church is not to close the door of grace to those who ask for it with sincere trust., nor confuse mercy with the legitimation of what remains contrary to the Gospel, but to jointly guard truth and charity, so that each pastoral gesture is an authentic help for people and never an occasion for misunderstanding about doctrine. All this, without ever losing sight of the very essence of the mission that Christ has entrusted to us with precise words:

«The healthy have no need of a doctor, but the sick. Id, well, and learn what it means: I want mercy and not sacrifice. Because I have not come to call the righteous, but to sinners" (Mt 9,12-13).

From the Eremo, 19 March 2026

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