Pastoral compromise

MARY REICHARD, HOST: It’s Tuesday the 19th of December, 2023. You’re listening to WORLD Radio, and we’re so glad to have you along today. Good morning, I’m Mary Reichard.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. First up on The World and Everything in It. The Pope and the LGBTQ agenda.

On Monday morning, newspapers and newswires touted the story of the pope approving blessings for same sex couples. One headline qualified it, saying the pope had okayed such blessings so long as they “don’t resemble marriage.” Per the New York Times, an official in Rome called the move a real development, but the traditional doctrine of the church about marriage remains intact.

What’s going on here?

Joining us now is Stephen Nichols. He’s the President of Reformation Bible College and Chief Academic Officer for Ligonier Ministries.

REICHARD: Stephen, good morning!

STEPHEN J. NICHOLS, GUEST: Good morning.

REICHARD: Well, it’s something many Catholics hoped wouldn’t happen, but the mainstream media is reporting that Pope Francis approves blessings for same-sex couples. However, the document in question seems to do the opposite. Titled “Declaration on the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings,” it affirms that the “Sacrament of Marriage” (as they call it) is the union of one man and one woman, and forbids any liturgical blessings of same-sex unions. It talks about blessings of intercessory prayer and invocation delivered extemporaneously may be pronounced over same-sex couples by a priest. But then it goes on to say (and I quote) “this blessing should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them.”

So did Francis cross the Rubicon like many media outlets say he has, or is he on the bank of a different river, so to speak?

NICHOLS: It's certainly a development and that's the language it's coming out of the Vatican regarding this. It's probably decided by what it is not, and what it is. And so what it is not is, it is not blessing same-sex marriages. And as you rightly point out, the document it says that the position of the Catholic church remains firm on this point. But it is clearly a development. First of all, let's call this what it is. It is a papal declaration. It is a papal, papal declaration that now requires priests to bless same sex unions. And the bulk of this document is explaining what is meant by a blessing. It will define blessings as that which give glory to God for His gifts, that ask God for His favors, and that restrain the power of evil in the world. Now, when you put that against what this is, the blessing of a same-sex union, you're actually asking for the opposite of those things, since God has ordained heterosexual marriage. So on the one hand, the document wants to hold forth its doctrinal position. But on the other hand, this declaration has moved beyond that traditional doctrinal position, and very likely is going to cause much consternation for priests who would prefer to hold the traditional line fully and firmly.

REICHARD: Let’s take a step back here for our audience that is majority Protestant. You aren’t Catholic but you’ve studied this. How do Catholics understand blessing, and how does it make this conversation about same-sex marriage different for Catholics as compared to mainline Protestant denominations over the past few years?

NICHOLS: Catholics certainly do see blessings, blessing and blessings differently than Protestants. Sacraments are a blessing from God. And so right there, of course, the Roman Catholic Church has seven sacraments. Protestants see two. But in addition to that, Protestants don't typically ask their pastors to come and bless their houses. Protestants don't typically gather with their pets in the church parking lot and ask the priests to bless their pets. And so there's a history here in Roman Catholic piety and practice of blessing extending beyond the ritual. What this declaration is saying is, you can separate out the act of blessing from any type of moral code, or even moral standard. So you're not asking the person to receive blessing to live up to a certain standard. They're actually coming for a blessing because they need help. But the problem here is what are you blessing? You are blessing that which the Bible has spoken of clearly is sin. The Bible has declared that marriage is to be heterosexual, and that homosexual activity is a sin, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Let's put it this way: would you bless a thief? Would you bless an adulterer? So how can you bless a same-sex union? And by doing that you're actually rejecting what the Bible teaches.

REICHARD: Let’s talk legacy here. The Pope just turned 87 on Sunday…and he’s older now than his predecessor, Benedict XVI was when he retired back in 2013. Francis has had some medical problems recently starting to use a wheelchair this year after abdominal surgery, earlier eye surgery and chronic sciatica. Based on his proclamations to date, what do you believe the legacy of Pope Francis will be?

NICHOLS: I think he's very transparent about his legacy: it's inclusivity. You can go back to the declaration at the end of October regarding transgenderism, and affirming that transgender people can be godparents and can participate in church services, etc. and in acts of the church. And now with this declaration, yesterday is just a further step towards what is a program of inclusivity. And it's sort of like a president's executive orders. And again, they just sort of bypass the checks and balances of the legislative system and court system to push an agenda. And this is pushing past the checks and balances system of the hierarchy of the bishops and cardinals of the church. And he certainly has support within the church, but that is pushing his inclusive agenda.

REICHARD: Any other aspect of this story you think is worth highlighting?

NICHOLS: As I take a look through the document, what I find very striking is that consistent references to this as a pastoral approach. If you take the time to read the document, you'll see pastoral point of view. And so this is being set against the opposite, which is being rigid and doctrinal. And so I think that is more than a caution flag. It's significantly problematic when it is more pastoral to be condoning of what the Bible condemns. It is the most pastoral thing we can do for people to proclaim faithfully God's word, and then come alongside of them and encourage them to live according to it. This document not only is a problem for what it may mean for marriage steps down the road in terms of redefining it, but it's also a problem for redefining what is essential to a church and that is pastoral ministry, so I think we need to keep an eye on it.

REICHARD: Stephen Nichols, President of Reformation Bible College. Thank you for joining us today, really enlightening!

NICHOLS: My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

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