What’s Behind the Pope’s Decision to Allow Blessings for Same-Sex Couples?

In a radical shift, the Vatican recently granted priests approval to bless same-sex couples. In explaining the change, Pope Francis said that people should not have to undergo “an exhaustive moral analysis” to receive a blessing from the church. 

This marks a departure from the past Vatican statement asserting that “God cannot bless sin” and follows a move by the Church of England, which earlier in 2023 permitted priests to bless same-sex couples.

Pope Francis explained more of his reasoning: If someone is seeking God, he asked, should the church stand as an obstacle, or should it welcome and encourage a person to trust in God? Should the church condemn sin or embrace people with God’s love and mercy? After all, are we not all sinners? 

God’s view of sexuality

When it comes to sexuality, people often act as though this is none of God’s business—in essence telling God, “Keep Your nose out of my affairs!”

But God is the creator of both sex and sexuality, which gives Him the authority to define its proper use and its misuse. In His Word, the Bible, God is not ambiguous about sexual behavior that He does not permit. 

Consider the following:

• The Bible commands Christians to “flee sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18). 
• Homosexuality is contrary to God’s design of sexuality (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9).
• God destroyed the people of Sodom for attempting homosexual rape, among other sins (Genesis 19:1-8; Jude 1:7).
• Jesus commanded the woman caught in adultery to “sin no more” (John 8:11).
• Paul rebuked the Corinthians for tolerating sexual sin (1 Corinthians 5:1).
• God forbids sexual relations with close family members, including a sibling, a sibling-in-law, a parent and a stepparent (Leviticus 18:6-18).
• Sexual relations with animals are forbidden (Leviticus 18:23).

Would God offer blessings on sexual behavior He expressly forbids? 

So, what does God bless? The book of Genesis records that God created human beings as male and female and established the human sexual relationship to be a union where the two become “one flesh” within the covenant of marriage (Genesis 2:24). God specifically offered His blessing and approval of this sexual relationship (Genesis 1:27-28). 

Tragically, even within heterosexual relationships, human beings have strayed far from God’s design of sexuality.

Marriage was designed to be between one man and one woman. But through the years, humans have challenged that with practices like polygamy, polyandry and polyamory. Though God sometimes tolerated polygamy, He didn’t bless and approve of it. (To learn more about God’s view on these issues, read “Is Polygamy a Sin?” and “Is Polyamory a Sin?”)

God does not approve of sexual lifestyles outside of a marriage between one man and one woman. As such, God doesn’t bless what He defines as sin. Another example is divorce. God designed marriage to be a lifetime covenant. The Pharisees once asked Jesus why Moses allowed divorce (Matthew 19:7). Jesus responded that divorce wasn’t part of God’s design, but He permitted it because of the hardness of people’s hearts. In other words, people refused to make God a part of their marriages, which resulted in conflict and division, leading to failing marriages. Though He permitted it, He never blessed divorce. 

Today, many people forgo marriage altogether and opt for cohabitation. That is also outside of God’s design for sexuality, and research shows it’s leading to disastrous results. (To learn more, read “Is Cohabitation Before Marriage a Good Idea?”) 

God does not approve of sexual lifestyles outside of a marriage between one man and one woman. As such, God doesn’t bless what He defines as sin. 

Instead of obedience to God’s commands, in today’s world we increasingly see sexual sin celebrated with pride—by both those who practice the behavior and those who sympathize and approve of it. God’s Word not only warns against practicing improper sexual behavior but also of those who “approve of those who practice” sinful behavior (Romans 1:32). 

Instead of offering blessings on what God forbids, churches should urge people to repent. Repentance means a complete change of thinking and behavior to harmonize our lives with God’s standards. 

Sadly, instead of preaching repentance, some churches are now blessing what God commands us to repent of, and other churches are promoting a “come as you are” approach to Christianity. (To learn more, read “The Problem With ‘Just as I Am’ Christianity” and “‘He Gets Us’ . . . But Do We Get Him?”) 

So, what is behind the Catholic Church’s decision to openly allow blessing something God explicitly forbids? 

The prophesied false church 

Jesus was asked, “What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3). The first sign that Jesus gave was religious deception. He warned that many would come in His name and deceive many (verses 4-5). In other words, many preachers would claim to represent Jesus, yet their messages would bring more confusion than spiritual clarity. 

Paul also warned that after he was gone, false brethren would enter the Church, devouring the members (Acts 20:29-30).

By the end of the first century, the last surviving apostle, John, rebuked false leaders for pushing truly converted Christians from the Church (3 John 1:9-10). This apostasy continued over the ensuing years, coalescing into a sizable and influential institution—the Roman Catholic Church. 

In the Bible, God’s true Church is pictured as a spiritually pure and chaste virgin (Matthew 25:1-13; Ephesians 5:27-32; Revelation 14:4; 19:7). The false church, however, is represented by a harlot who has spiritually corrupted herself and persecutes God’s true people (Revelation 17:1-6). (To learn more, read “Who Are the Woman, Child and Dragon in Revelation 12?” and “Revelation 17: Who Is the Scarlet Woman?”)

The false church and religious syncretism

One characteristic of this unfaithful church is its tendency to absorb beliefs, ideas and systems of other religions and society. Historically, that can be seen in the Catholic Church’s adoption of pagan practices, such as Christmas and Easter, into its worship system. 

The practice of syncretism continues today, as many have an increasingly permissive view of alternative sexual lifestyles. Instead of standing as a bastion for biblical morality, the Catholic Church (and many Protestant denominations) are increasingly adopting the ideas of mainstream society. 

The Bible reveals this religious institution will continue to grow more powerful and influential globally, likely gaining greater societal acceptance as it accommodates the ideas of our world. Ultimately, however, God will intervene to destroy all false religions and establish His Kingdom on earth. 

Till then, we may see this church and others accept more of modern society’s ideas, or we may see a conservative backlash. 

Either way, instead of going along with the ideas of this world, true Christians should heed the warning found in Revelation 18:4: “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.”

Date Posted: December 29, 2023