(LifeSiteNews) — Bishop Robert Mutsaerts, the auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands issued a strong statement against the “diabolical ambiguity” in Francis’ recent document approving of “blessings” for homosexual “couples.”
In the statement obtained by LifeSiteNews and published below, Mutsaerts begins by quoting the Vatican’s own announcement of Fiducia supplicans, arguing that the issue with the December 18 document is not that it allows for the blessing of sinners, which “has always been possible,” but that it contains “confusing passages” that seem to allow for the attributing of blessings not to sinners but perhaps to sin itself. As Mutsaerts wrote:
The first question to ask is: Would God want to give His blessing on this? God who loves nothing more than for people to come to repentance to share in God’s love. Can God give his blessing to a sinner? As mentioned, yes, of course. Repentant sinners who come to repentance are heartily pardoned. An entirely different question is: Can God give his blessing on sin? Of course not! We love the sinner but hate the sin. In all three forms of blessing (sacramental, formal, informal) exactly the same principle applies. And this is where it goes wrong in Fiducia Supplicans. A gay Christian can be blessed individually. But one cannot bless a gay relationship, because the Church characterizes it as disordered, or sinful. This disordered character is affirmed, but nevertheless the declaration says that blessing such relationships is a possibility. In other words, blessing a sinful relationship is possible. God giving His blessing on a sin, it is a travesty!
Mutsaerts, in support of his argument, points out that Fiducia supplicans contains “no reference to Church Fathers, to documents of Popes, to writings of theologians, but almost exclusively to earlier documents of Pope Francis himself.” Elaborating on this point, Mutsaerts added:
Fiducia Supplicans wants to be a pastoral outreach, but what the declaration understands by blessing is totally diffuse. It is unclear why someone would ask for a priest’s blessing and why a priest would want to give his blessing. Normally it is to bring one’s life more in line with God’s will. It is a call to holiness. But nowhere in the declaration is there a call to repentance, there is no reference to truth. It does not contain a call for LGTBQ couples to live in abstinence in accordance with God’s plan in which sexuality is reserved for a man/woman relationship.
Mutsaerts continues his critique of the document by stating that it is a “repetitive refrain in this pontificate” to sow “confusion,” as Francis consistently insists, he is not going to “change” doctrine while at the same time “creat[ing] opportunities for the practice to the contrary.”
Mutsaerts concludes by reminding the faithful that while “[every] blessing is meant for sinners,” under no circumstances can he bless a “sinful situation,” adding that it neither “pastoral” nor “merciful” to do so.
Here is the full response by Bishop Robert Mutsaerts to the Vatican Declaration Fiducia supplicans
Again that diabolical ambiguity
“With the Declaration ‘Fiducia supplicans‘ of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, approved by Pope Francis, it will be possible to bless same-sex couples.” So reads the headline above an article on the Vatican’s own website. Admittedly, such a blessing should be performed without any ritualization, nor should it give the impression of marriage. “The doctrine regarding marriage does not change and the blessing does not signify approval of the union,” the official Vatican website continues.
The issue is not the blessing of sinners. Logically, that has always been possible. The Church has always invited people to receive God’s blessing. The declaration reiterates this once again. That there can be no sacramental marriage, the statement is also clear on that. A Church marriage of same-sex couples is and remains impossible. This remains reserved for a man/woman relationship. Nor can there be any formal form of ritualization (as we find in the Benedictional). This note can be considered a reaction to formal blessing of gay couples in Germany, where the bishops’ conference has formalized this type of blessing. Then there is a third type of blessing, called spontaneous blessings. Here one can think of a pilgrim asking for the blessing of a priest present in a place of pilgrimage. Or the blessing asked by a churchgoer to a priest when distributing communion because he is not (yet) baptized, or a baptized person who considers himself unworthy of receiving communion and intends to receive the sacrament of confession. Who can receive this blessing? Everyone. So far, nothing new.
But then come the confusing passages in the statement. Why does one ask for a blessing? To remove the brokenness in one’s life. After all, it is God’s blessing that is being asked for. The first question to ask is: Would God want to give His blessing on this? God who loves nothing more than for people to come to repentance to share in God’s love. Can God give his blessing to a sinner? As mentioned, yes, of course. Repentant sinners who come to repentance are heartily pardoned. An entirely different question is: Can God give his blessing on sin? Of course not! We love the sinner, but hate the sin. In all three forms of blessing (sacramental, formal, informal) exactly the same principle applies. And this is where it goes wrong in Fiducia Supplicans. A gay Christian can be blessed individually. But one cannot bless a gay relationship, because the Church characterizes it as disordered, or sinful. This disordered character is affirmed, but nevertheless the declaration says that blessing such relationships is a possibility. In other words, blessing a sinful relationship is possible. God giving His blessing on a sin, it is a travesty!
What is all this based on? There is no reference to Church Fathers, to documents of Popes, to writings of theologians, but almost exclusively to earlier documents of Pope Francis himself. Fiducia Supplicans wants to be a pastoral outreach, but what the declaration understands by blessing is totally diffuse. It is unclear why someone would ask for a priest’s blessing and why a priest would want to give his blessing. Normally it is to bring one’s life more in line with God’s will. It is a call to holiness. But nowhere in the declaration is there a call to repentance, there is no reference to truth. It does not contain a call for LGTBQ couples to live in abstinence in accordance with God’s plan in which sexuality is reserved for a man/woman relationship.
It is a repetitive refrain in this pontificate: the lack of clarity, the sowing of confusion. The pope who says not to change the doctrine of the Church, but at the same time creates opportunities for the practice to the contrary. You cannot maintain doctrine and provide for other criteria.
An underlying problem is that in homosexual relationships one begins to identify sin and sinner. One identifies as [a] gay Christian. There is no such thing. Neither is there such a thing as an alcoholic Christian. No, you are a Christian with an alcohol problem, you are a Christian with a homosexual orientation. When you make sin your identity there is no way out. We act as if LGTBQ people are an unique kind of sinner whom we must treat separately. But the same applies to them as to any other sinner.
Gay people feel excluded from the Church community. But the Church does not exclude anyone. No one is bad enough not to be allowed in. And no one is good enough to be left out. With one exception (those who feel they are deficient in nothing, they can stay home), everyone is welcome. But something is asked of you: repentance, the call to repentance. And this is precisely the ambiguity of Fiducia Supplicans: one does not want to name the sinful nature. And this is also what the LGTBQ community does not want. One demands that not they, but that the Church must change.
Every blessing is meant for sinners. But not for those who believe that this is not the case with them. But then why ask for blessing at all. By definition, blessing is for sinners who recognize their shortcomings and need God’s help to improve. The Declaration offers the possibility of receiving blessing, but does not speak a word about a corrective and the priest is asked to give his blessing on a disordered state that continues. This is not pastoral, nor is it merciful, but rather unloving. The priest’s job is to point out their situation, his job is to bring people closer to God, not to guide them further toward the abyss. Because that is what you are doing. I will give my blessing to anyone who asks for it. But under no circumstances will I give my blessing to a sinful situation. And that has nothing to do with discrimination. The same goes for a male/female relationship where adultery is involved.
Holy Father, please, be clear! You are not helping anyone with this! No one at all!
+Robert Mutsaerts
Aux. bishop of the Diocese of ‘s-Hertogenbosch