‘Blessing of homosexuals’: The Catholic Church refused to recognise the power of the media

CNN, BBC, Reuters and all other international media except the Vatican media reported on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, that Pope Francis had approved that Catholic Priests all over the world can now bless same-sex couples.

This news spread like wildfire.

The Catholic Church, with all her scholarly Cardinals, (Arch)Bishops, Priest and other organised lay professionals failed to debunk the misleading news reportage for what seemed like forever.

Later, the Church’s own website managed from the Vatican issued a story which confirmed the contents of the Holy Father's "Fiducia" document.

The Fiducia document asks priests to bless same-sex couples.

In ordinary lay terms, Catholics talk about "blessing" their marriages, an expression used at least in Ghana to give the impression that marriage ceremonies, properly called the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, do not have to be expensive like a wedding. During the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, nuptial blessings are given by a priest to the couple, hence the term blessing of marriage.

However, there are clear ethical dilemmas when a same-sex couple may visit a priest and ask for blessings. The Holy Father says do not turn them away.

How can the Church with all its powerful media and media professionals wait for this bad image to befall the church and now spend time to clear the air?

Has the so-called denial of the reportage been given the same milage as the earlier stories that the international media reported?

Has the so-called denial by the Church changed the perception of those who read the earlier stories from the international news wires?

When I was discussed these matters with some men in cassocks, we had vehement disagreements about how to quench the fires.

Other people of catholic social media platforms have had their moments of strong disagreements.

The Church leadership, together with some of its Priests, has failed the faithful.

The majority of the faithful are the youth who need clear directions and instructions.

This is because most of the youth in the church do not even know the current position of the Church on this LGBTQ+ issue that has taken the world by storm.

Perhaps, that men in cassock do not even know but the current storm has presented the church with a very good opportunity for her to explain things clearly to the youth.

The youth are very fragile. Many of them are easily convinced to move out of the church to other denominations.

Logic is logic because when a Catholic Youth today meet his or her friends at work, in trotro or even in school, he or she needs to explain this directive to them using logic and not faith.

Now to discuss a blessing which is given every day at Mass, at hospitals, schools, everywhere should have caused so much upheaval, should it?

The question that this document/directive from Pope Francis failed to address is to tell us whether homosexuals have hitherto been denied a ‘blessing’ from some Catholic Priests.

If this has been the case, then it is wrong because the Holy Book tells us that Christ Jesus our saviour did not come for the righteous but for the sinner.

This is why I fault the Catholic media for not collaborating with their allies in the secular media for a proper release and interpretation of the Fiducia document.

Now, why this directive at this present time where the topic of homosexuality has become very topical?

Is it because some gay lobbyists have infiltrated the ranks of the men in cassock and need apostolic validation?

There are reports from some African Catholic clergy who have called the bluff of the Pope and his men at the Vatican.

The Priest’s union of the UK have stated that they will not bless same-sex unions.

In Ghana, the Archbishop of Kumasi has instructed his Priests not to bless any gay or homosexual couples until a proper understanding has been given to this latest directive.

This singular directive from the archbishop of Kumasi flies in the face of the press release from the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC) whose interpretation cannot stand up to the test of truth and logic.

The GCBC stated categorically in their first paragraph that the pope had never said bless same-sex couples, an inaccuracy which underscores the point about the failure of the Catholic media professionals in helping the church communicate clearly.

I believe strongly that the church hierarchy actually goofed big time and has also failed to realise that the media is very powerful.

Therefore, they the hierarchy, should be extra careful and plan media activities carefully before engaging the media.