The Vatican’s announcement approving the blessing for same-sex couples is “an important step forward” and will mean gay couples in Malta can be blessed by priests in public, according to Drachma LGBTI coordinator.
“Over the years, individual priests were blessing couples privately. Now it can be done in public spaces. This is a step forward for those who are religious, as they feel more accepted and their love is acknowledged within the Church,” Chris Vella said.
Drachma is a voluntary organisation that seeks to offer a space to all those who seek sexual and spiritual integration.
On Monday, the Vatican approved blessings for same-sex couples but insisted they must not be established as a Catholic rite nor given in contexts related to civil unions or weddings.
In a document approved by Pope Francis, the Vatican backed “the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex”.
“One should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing,” it said.
Vella, who got married in a civil ceremony five years ago, believes this is positive news for religious same-sex couples. He and his husband are planning to get their union blessed.
“Our relationship with God is an important component. Having our love blessed publicly is lovely,” he said, reiterating that the Vatican’s decision was “an important step forward and quite a change from the original 2021 decision.”
In 2021, the Vatican said the Church did not have the power to bless same-sex unions because God cannot “bless sin”.
Monday’s decision does not change the Catholic Church’s stance on same-sex marriages or unions. The Church insists marriage is only between a man and a woman, to have children.
While understanding this is due to the Church’s theology, Vella has urged the Church to start theological discussions on the subject based on today’s realities.
Fr Colin Apap says he was one of the Maltese priests to “get into trouble” for blessing a gay union about 15 years ago during a private gathering at the couple’s home.
A few weeks later he received a letter from the then Archbishop informing him that disciplinary action would be taken against him as he had blessed a gay marriage.
“I had made it very clear that it was not a marriage. I had just blessed two people. I wrote back to the Archbishop telling him all this and the issue was dropped,” Fr Colin said this week..
The priest, now a popular radio presenter, said the recent Vatican decision was important in that it redefined the meaning of “blessing”.
“As priests we bless many things. We bless objects, war tanks and soldiers before heading to war. It does not mean we are approving the act of war,” he said.
What the Vatican decision did was allow the blessing of people in a same-sex couple without giving a liturgical blessing to their union as a recognised marriage.
Fr Colin said it would essentially remain up to individual priests to decide whether or not they would bless a same-sex couple. The Vatican decision did not oblige them to.