This weekend we will bless the new statue of mother and child north of the parish hall in our new outdoor courtyard entrance. The Catholic world continues to react to the statement last month from the Vatican concerning blessings given by Catholic Clergy.
In my 31 years as a priest, I have prayed thousands of blessings. Just this past week I blessed rosaries, expected parents, babies, and in the past have blessed homes, cars, meals, animals, backpacks, the sick and the dying. Never before was I officially permitted to bless a same-sex couple until this recent statement; a permission I welcome and find refreshing, while at the same time needing some clarification.
When we bless a statue or a sick or dying person, or times when we bless religious articles or animals, Deacons or Priests may do so in a liturgical manner, meaning it is more ritualized, in a more formal manner possibly by wearing liturgical garments and using an official liturgical blessing that can found in one of our rites books or the official Book of Blessing. Other blessings we give are often more spontaneous or less formal and ritualistic; oftentimes what I will do outside of Mass or in the parking lot. These are what the Vatican clarified as Pastoral Blessing and would not be performed with “any clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding” or a ‘liturgical’ blessing. It is the latter that is allowed with the recent statement Fiducia Supplcans.
An example of a blessing that could be offered for any couple or person in any “irregular circumstances” as the Vatican defines them could be similar to this: “God bless you on your journey to a deeper relationship with Christ. +In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” or “May the Lord bless you. May he give you the grace to strive to do his will every day with humility and joyful hope. May our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph watch over and guide you along your way. +In the name of …”
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church #2626 it has stated for quite some time that “A blessing expresses the basic movement of Christian prayer: It is an encounter between God and man. In blessing, God’s gift and man’s acceptance of it are united in dialogue with each other. The prayer of blessing is man’s response to God’s gifts: because God blessed, the human heart can in return bless the One who is the source of every blessing.”
Bishop Barron, chair of the USCCB committee of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth has stated that the Vatican “document changes nothing about Church teaching on marriage and sexuality” but reiterates that these blessings are pastoral and “designed to call upon God’s mercy to heal, guide and strengthen. This is consistent with Pope Francis' long held conviction, (and mine as well), that those who do not live up to the full demand of the Church’s moral teaching are nevertheless loved and cherished by God and invited to accept the Lord’s offer of forgiveness.” In other words, every sinner – all of us – are worthy of a blessing reminding us of God’s love and care for us and God’s desire to bring us mercy and joy.
Personally, I think this is a welcomed clarification for all of us to know that God and His Church wants to have an encounter with all people and the objects we encounter every day. I believe the ‘Pastoral’ thing is to stress to every person that God is present and desires to guide them to truth, beauty and goodness. As we bless our beautiful statue it reminds us that our God creates beauty and all things beautiful may bring us back to the Divine. We are blessed.
God Bless,
