[Catholic Caucus] German church plans formal ‘ceremonies’ for blessing same-sex couples

BERLIN (LifeSiteNews) — Birgit Mock, the vice president of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZDK), announced that in light of Rome’s permission to grant blessings to “couples” in irregular unions and same-sex “couples” the German bishops will continue as planned to work on a handout for “blessing ceremonies” to give to priests, ignoring the Vatican’s stipulation to the contrary.

Mock announced the intention to proceed with the handout in an interview with the German news outlet Katholisch.de. She celebrated the fact that despite Rome not changing the Church’s teaching on marriage and sexuality, it nonetheless has now changed Church practice on the question of giving blessings to “couples” outside of marriage, such as adultery and sodomy.

“Until now, there was always the question of whether the Church’s teaching on relationships and sexuality had to be changed before a blessing could be given,” she said. “In the current declaration, it is the other way round: the doctrine of the Church has not (yet) been changed, but blessing is possible. In my view, this opens up a very important bridge into practice – a practice that we have had in Germany for many years and which is thus greatly strengthened.”

Mock elaborated that she hoped this change in the Church’s practice of granting blessings would indeed lead to an eventual change in its doctrine on sexual morality.

“Church history has often been about the question: can practice precede doctrine?” Mock said. “And with this declaration, in which a fourfold understanding of pastoral care and thus a changed understanding of practice is developed, this is possible.”

She then affirmed that despite Rome’s prohibition that the blessings of “couples” in irregular unions and same-sex “couples” even remotely resemble a wedding ceremony or be conducted through a formal ritual, the Church in Germany would nonetheless proceed with developing precisely this: a rite of prayers and ceremonies for priests to use when conducting a blessing of “couples” living in adultery, fornication, or sodomy.

“We will proceed with the handout as planned,” she confirmed. “In Germany, we already have a lot of practical experience with acts of blessing. We will collect these and make them available, because we also want to contribute to pastors being able to make a qualified offer, so that they don’t have to find everything themselves.

“We want to make prayer texts that are suitable for this easily accessible. Pope Francis also speaks of suitable prayers and sensitizing pastoral workers to opportunities for acts of blessing.”

Mock said the bishops’ Central Committee “will take up this work in the new year. Every chaplain should have the opportunity to act spontaneously. But we will compile a collection so that there is a basis to fall back on.”

Claiming that such a ritual was necessary, Mock said that in the resolution passed by the bishops such rituals were clearly distinguished from a “sacramental marriage.”

“We had already laid the foundation that an act of blessing, as we want it for Germany, is one thing – and a sacramental marriage ceremony is another. This was also important to the bishops. We would like the act of blessing to have its own dignity. And this requires a framework. We will continue to work in this direction in Germany,” she said.

The announced continuation of a ritual ceremony and prayers for use in the blessing of “couples” living in adultery, fornication, or sodomy signals that the Church in Germany will not stop at the supposed limitations imposed by the Vatican when it comes to publicly endorsing, celebrating, and promoting sexual sins.

It also manifests how vain is the hope that “informal” blessings” of adulterers and sodomites can be granted by the Church while purportedly resisting the tidal wave of pressure from dissident pro-LGBT bishops in countries such as Germany to fully recognize and accept same-sex marriage. Rome’s approbation of same-sex unions through blessings of such “couples” is a first step toward the desired change in Church teaching and sacramental practice openly advocated by the German bishops.

WWJD: What Would John Do?

By: Father Celatus | Remnant Columnist

WWJD: What Would John Do?

If there is one historical figure more than any other who most immediately and prominently prepared the way of the Lord, it was John the Baptist. This was the same John who was cleansed of original sin and leapt for joy in the womb of his mother when first encountering the Christ Child in the womb of Mary. Some thirty years later, John emerged from the desert, offering a baptism of repentance to the faithful.

What was true historically remains true liturgically: John the Baptist is the most prominent figure in the season of Advent, as the faithful prepare spiritually for the coming of Christ at Christmas. This is evident in the choice of the Church of Sunday Gospel texts related to John the Baptist, about whom our Lord said, “Amen, I say, there hath not risen among them that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist.”

How diabolically ironic it is that in this sacred season of preparation, the Francis Vatican has promulgated a new declaration that approves of the blessing of couples who are committed to each other in immoral, even perverted relationships. It is doubly ironic, in light of the fact that Saint John the Baptist was put to death and beheaded over his public condemnation and denunciation of just such an immoral relationship:

At the time Herod the Tetrarch heard the fame of Jesus. And he said to his servants: This is John the Baptist: he is risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works shew forth themselves in him. For Herod had apprehended John and bound him, and put him into prison, because of Herodias, his brother's wife. For John said to him: It is not lawful for thee to have her. And having a mind to put him to death, he feared the people: because they esteemed him as a prophet. But on Herod's birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before them: and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath, to give her whatsoever she would ask of him. But she being instructed before by her mother, said: Give me here in a dish the head of John the Baptist. And the king was struck sad: yet because of his oath, and for them that sat with him at table, he commanded it to be given. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

And his head was brought in a dish: and it was given to the damsel, and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came and took the body, and buried it, and came and told Jesus.

In his own time, the Baptist was willing to do what the ancient Jewish shepherds were not: confront evil. Little has changed with regard to modern shepherds.

The ancient Jewish historian Joseph wrote about the widespread popularity of John the Baptist among the Jewish faithful of the time. So popular was the Baptist, in fact, that when Herod Antipas suffered a crushing military defeat not long after the death of John, the common opinion among the faithful was that this was a divine punishment upon him for having murdered the Baptist. The sensus fidelium was spot on.

The sensus fidelium is still going strong, now nearly two thousand years after the martyrdom of John the Baptist, at least among traditional faithful. There is a huge outcry on their part against the most recent diabolical atrocity spewed out from the bowels of the Francis Vatican. As Jesus the Good Shepherd said, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me.” But what about the other shepherds?

In his own time, the Baptist was willing to do what the ancient Jewish shepherds were not: confront evil. Little has changed with regard to modern shepherds. Within hours of the promulgation of the Declaration, the wolves in miters where championing the document and the hirelings in miters meekly acquiesced. The mainstream media of the secular world and its counterpart in the Catholic press heralded it and the neo-cons so twisted it as to insist that rather than approving the blessing of evil unions, it actually forbids this.

Even Franklin Graham, a prominent leader in the heretical Baptist sect, shows himself to be more Christian in his thinking than the Francis Vatican, as evident in this X statement: “None of us, including the Pope, has the right to ‘bless’ what God calls sin. ‘Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.’”

Thankfully, a few true Catholic shepherds brandished their crosiers and declared, “Not on my watch!”

“What would John do?” We know the answer. He would allow himself to be put in prison and put to death rather than approve of an evil union. The shepherds can remove our faculties, run us out of rectories, and even excommunicate us, but blessing evil? Not over my dead body!

Folks, this is but one more piece of evidence that there is a rogue counterfeit church that is eclipsing the one true Church. This happened in the time of Christ and it is happening in our lifetime. As Saint Padre Pio prophetically warned in 1960: “Satan has been introduced into the bosom of the Church and he will within a very short time come to rule a false church.” And now, sixty years later, the false church is here.

Our last words are for our brother priests, in the face of this most recent betrayal of the Mystical Christ. My brothers, the blood of the Baptist is upon all shepherds and pastors who embrace or otherwise assent to this outrageous Declaration. I know that no true traditional priest would ever bless that which is evil. All we need do is ask ourselves, “What would John do?” We know the answer. He would allow himself to be put in prison and put to death rather than approve of an evil union. The shepherds can remove our faculties, run us out of rectories, and even excommunicate us, but blessing evil? Not over my dead body!

https://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/articles/item/6950-wwjd-what-would-john-do">WWJD: What Would John Do?

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[Catholic Caucus] German church plans formal ‘ceremonies’ for blessing same-sex couples

German bishops will continue to work on a handout for 'blessing ceremonies' to give to priests while the vice president of the Central Committee of German Catholics expresses hope that a change in church doctrine on sexual morality follows.