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Dear Friends in Christ,
The February edition of The Christian Century (published this month) shares two related news items. The first focuses on the publication of the Catholic Church’s declaration “Fiducia supplicans.” Published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and supported by Pope Francis, the declaration allows priests to bless same-sex couples. The second item reported that the Church of England, following the endorsement by its general synod, began offering blessings for same-sex couples in December.
The permission to offer blessings comes with significant caveats. In the Church of England, same-sex couples can receive a blessing in the church but cannot be married there, despite the fact that same-sex weddings are legal in England. The Catholic Church’s decision is even more restrictive. According to “Fiducia supplicans,” blessings “should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding.”
I applaud the courage of Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby to support these steps forward. I am well aware that as leaders of global communions, they are facing fierce resistance in many parts of the church and the world. I would not want their jobs.
But I’m troubled whenever the church offers what in essence is a half-hearted blessing. From my perspective, both of these decisions fall into the “love the sinner, hate the sin” category. They essentially say, “Your choice to be married is not fully endorsed by the church and, therefore, not by God either.” Indeed, neither church has changed its teaching that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. It all makes me wonder what exactly the church thinks it is blessing if it’s not the loving relationship that binds two people together and creates a new family. There is no sin here to hate, only love to be blessed.
Too often, it seems, the church insists on making some people full citizens with all of the rights and privileges of baptism while others, also baptized, must operate under a different set of guidelines.
When the church baptizes, we don’t use one kind of water for some people and another kind of water for others. It’s all the same water, holy water, water blessed by a priest, water filled with the Holy Spirit, poured on anyone who comes to the font. We don’t ask about your political party or your ethnicity or who you love or what pronouns you use. We baptize and proclaim that you are marked as Christ’s own forever. Everyone welcomed with the same water, the same words, the same Jesus.
Which, as far as I’m concerned, means we need to offer God’s blessing freely, abundantly, generously, and equally to all who seek the love, grace, and affirmation of God through Christ. If we can’t do this, perhaps we shouldn’t offer any blessing at all. Has the church not driven enough people away with our centuries of judgments, restrictions and exclusions?
“Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters,” writes Isaiah (Is 55:1). “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest,” says Jesus (Mt. 11:28). No qualifiers. No restrictions. No exclusions. A simple message: God loves you, no exceptions.
Let’s be a church that blesses, shall we?
Your Friend in Christ,
The Rev. John Denson, D.Min., Rector
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