The Pope Intended to Bless, but Incites Judgment

by Dennis Gladden, IM Writers Association & Forum, ©2024

(Feb. 16, 2024) — Pope Francis is not my pastor, his church is not mine, nor do I adhere to his teachings.

Nonetheless, his declaration in December, “On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings,” alarms Bible-oriented believers, whatever our denomination.

As I see it, the confusion his document has caused affirms the warning of the Apostle Peter, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17, ESV).

The Pope’s statement, in its broad treatment of the nature and use of blessings, devotes lengthy commentary to its effect on marriage and insists in the opening, “…this Declaration remains firm on the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage.” [1 

It reiterates in the 11-paragraph section about couples who are in non-traditional relationships, “…there is no intention to legitimize anything…” [2

These statements bring to mind the Shakespearean quip, “Methinks thou dost protest too much.” In articles across the internet, Catholic writers agree.

“The document is a double-minded exercise in simultaneously affirming and undercutting Catholic teaching…” writes Charles J. Chaput, the archbishop emeritus of Philadelphia. [3

The Catholic World Report began its coverage, saying “The moral teaching of the Church, especially on matters sexual, is undercut directly…” [4

The consensus is that the Pope has convoluted the church’s stance on same-sex marriage. “In a by now familiar sequence of events, the Vatican released a document on Monday which caused instant confusion.” writes Dan Hitchens, a senior editor at First Things. [5

This confusion signals four dangers: It is ungodly, it is a sign of God’s judgment, it sows division, and it strengthens those who rebel against God’s ways.

• It is ungodly in that “God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).
• Confusion is a curse, a sign of judgment upon those who disobey God’s laws. Not long before the leadership of Israel transferred to Joshua, Moses divided the tribes into two camps, one to hear the blessings of obedience and the other to hear the curses of disobedience (Deuteronomy 27). God warned those who forsake Him, “The Lord will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do” (Deuteronomy 28:20, NKJV).

The Pope intended to rejuvenate the blessings of the church and to comfort those in provocative relationships, but the resulting confusion is a rebuke.

• Confusion sows division. Pope Francis sought to unite his priests around a new understanding of how to bless their people, but many say the document contradicts Christian teaching and church tradition, while others rejoice that the Catholic Church seems at last to be warming to contemporary sexuality. For example, Father James Martin, an advocate for LGBTQ+, promptly blessed a gay couple and was quoted in The New York Times, saying, “It was really nice to be able to do that publicly.”

Although dissension of this magnitude about marriage, gender, and sexuality may be new to the Catholic Church, they have sundered Protestants for years. The United Methodist Church reports that more than 7,700 congregations have disaffiliated since the denomination officially embraced same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ in 2019. [7

Such discord is further evidence of the ungodliness of this trend. “A wicked man…sows discord. These … the LORD hates … one who sows discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:12, 14; 16-19)

• Lastly, the confusion from the Pope’s declaration strengthens those determined to repurpose marriage. Advocates of same- and irregular-sex relations are already praising the Pope’s blessing as an endorsement. An analyst for The Guardian observed:

“Others will view it as a strong message of inclusivity and pastoral care to the LGBT+ Christians – and a signal to conservatives within the church that a hard line stance on LGBT+ issues is no longer acceptable.” [8

In all of this, Pope Francis comes across as a priest akin to those whom Malachi rebuked:

“The lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.  But you have departed from the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law” (Malachi 2:7-8).

Whereas the Pope sought to enlarge the blessings of the church, God counters, “I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart” (Malachi 2:2).

God’s curse was already at work in the confused legislation and church rulings about marriage and gender, but spreads now with the help of the Pope.

Besides alarm about this latest erosion of Christian values by none other than the leader of the largest Christian collective, how should we respond?

• Recognize God’s judgment, expressed through the confusion that is ravaging our culture.
• Receive God’s admonition about the reason for confusion. “The Lord will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do … because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me” (Deuteronomy 28:20).
• Examine ourselves. Do our lives clarify or confuse the teachings of Scripture?
• Confess, and don’t point fingers. The prayers of Nehemiah and Daniel during significant epochs like this are wonderful models (Nehemiah 1:5-11, Daniel 9:4-19). They recognized the sins of their nation but also acknowledged their personal blame.
• Pray without ceasing, in the spirit of Habakkuk, “O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work … In wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2).

1] Fernández, V. M. (2023, December 18). Declaration Fiducia Supplicans on the pastoral meaning of blessings), Presentation, paragraph 3, accessed 12/28/2023. 

2] Fernández, V. M. (2023, December 18). Declaration Fiducia Supplicans on the pastoral meaning of blessings, Blessings of Couples in Irregular Situations and of Couples of the Same Sex, paragraph 40, accessed 12/28/2023. 

3] Chaput, C. J., O.F.M. Cap (2023, December 22). “The Cost of ‘Making a Mess'”. First Things. Retrieved 12/28/2023 from https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2023/12/the-cost-of-making-a-mess

4]Chapp, L. (2023, December 19). “The DDF’s ‘innovative’ Declaration on blessings is a disaster”. The Catholic World Report. Retrieved 12/28/2023 from https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/12/19/the-ddfs-innovative-declaration-on-blessings-is-a-disaster/

5] Hitchens, D., Senior Editor (2023, December 19). “The Pope and the Black Hole”. First Things. Retrieved 12/28/2023 from https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2023/12/the-pope-and-the-black-hole

6] Weinandy, T. G., OFM, Cap. (2023, December 19). “God’s Blessings and Magisterial Teaching”. The Catholic Thing. Retrieved 12/29/2023 from https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2023/12/19/gods-blessings-and-magisterial-teaching/

7] “Disaffiliations approved by annual conferences”. UM News. Retrieved 12/29/2023 from https://www.umnews.org/en/news/disaffiliations-approved-by-annual-conferences

8] Sherwood, H (2023, December 18). “Pope Francis allowing blessings for gay couples is significant but not seismic”. The Guardian. Retrieved 12/28/2023 from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/18/pope-francis-allowing-blessings-for-gay-couples-is-significant-but-not-seismic

See Dennis’s Substack here.