Summary:
The head of Ukraine’s eastern-rite Catholic church, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, asserted that a recent Vatican document, endorsed by Pope Francis, allowing blessings for same-sex couples does not pertain to his church and its doctrines. While the Vatican’s declaration addresses the Latin Church, Shevchuk emphasized that it holds no legal weight for the faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. He maintained that blessings must align with the church’s teachings, emphasizing the Catholic Church’s stance on the family as a faithful, indissoluble, and fertile union between a man and a woman.
Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Ukraine’s eastern-rite Catholic church declared that the Vatican document permitting blessings for same-sex couples, endorsed by Pope Francis, does not extend to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and its teachings. In a statement, Shevchuk clarified that the Vatican declaration interprets the pastoral meaning of blessings in the Latin Church, omitting any reference to matters concerning the eastern, or Greek Catholic, church. He emphasized that the declaration exclusively applies to the Latin Church and lacks legal authority for the faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
According to Shevchuk, a blessing cannot be divorced from the church’s teachings, stressing that it should not contradict the Catholic Church’s principles regarding the family—a faithful, indissoluble, and fertile union of love between a man and a woman. The eastern-rite church follows rites akin to the Orthodox faith but is in communion with Rome due to a 16th-century agreement. Suppressed during Soviet times, the church now boasts approximately 4.5 million parishioners, constituting around 10% of Ukraine’s population.
The Vatican document from the doctrinal office specifies that Roman Catholic priests can bestow blessings on same-sex couples, provided these blessings are not part of regular church rituals or liturgies. It underscores that such blessings signify God’s welcome to all but should not be confused with the sacrament of heterosexual marriage.
FAQs:
1) Does the Vatican’s document on same-sex blessings apply to all Catholic churches?
- No, according to Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of Ukraine’s eastern-rite Catholic church, the Vatican’s document is specific to the Latin Church and does not have legal force for the faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
2) How does the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church view blessings for same-sex couples?
- The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, led by Archbishop Shevchuk, maintains that blessings must align with the church’s teachings, emphasizing the Catholic Church’s stance on the family as a faithful, indissoluble, and fertile union between a man and a woman. The church asserts that such blessings cannot contradict these principles.