CV NEWS FEED // A liberal Catholic group in Switzerland is using the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith Fiduccia supplicans declaration to justify advocacy for same-sex couples within the Catholic Church.
Allianz Gleichwürdig Katholisch (Alliance for Catholic Equality) published a list earlier this month of parishes that are “available to bless homosexual couples and irregular couples,” according to a report from the New Daily Compass.
Controversy surrounding the document, which authorised “spontaneous blessings” for same-sex and irregular couples, has abounded globally since its December 2023 release. While leaders of the Church in Africa delivered a swift, wholesale rejection of the document, leaders of the Church in European countries such as Germany and Switzerland have mostly embraced it.
The Swiss group’s list includes about 20 parishes and 40 individuals available to give the blessings.
“In reality,” the New Daily Compass report notes, “there are not many priests on the list, most are lay people, including women, therefore the blessing is not liturgical.”
According to the report, the German language website states: “Queer, unmarried and remarried couples seeking a blessing should immediately know where they are welcome.”
“The AGK offers a list of Catholic priests and parishes that will give a blessing to anyone who requests it,” the website adds.
The AGK insists that “all consensual relationships must be regarded and treated as equal” and has created a label for parishes to post that reads “Blessings for All, ” which signifies the parish is open to blessing same-sex or irregular couples.
