Vatican and German bishops clash over blessings for same-sex couples in 2025
Pope Leo XIV has found himself at odds not only with U.S. President Donald Trump but also with one of Germany's most influential church leaders, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the Archbishop of Munich. Their disagreements, however, are of an entirely different nature: at stake is the highly divisive issue within the Catholic Church of blessing same-sex partnerships—as well as other couples living in what Catholic doctrine terms "irregular situations," such as remarried divorcees.
Under Pope Francis, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a declaration in 2023 (Fiducia supplicans, or "Supplicating Trust") that, for the first time, permitted such blessings—but only under strict conditions. The guidelines emphasized that these acts must not resemble liturgical ceremonies, should avoid all formalities, and were not intended to endorse "irregular relationships" as "regular." Instead, the focus was solely on ensuring that "all, all, all" people (© Francis) could receive blessings.
In Germany, where a majority of bishops—alongside lay representatives organized in the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK)—have pushed for sweeping reforms through the Synodal Path, Fiducia supplicans was widely interpreted as validation of their efforts.
"Couples Who Love Each Other"
In 2025, the German Bishops' Conference (DBK) and the ZdK published a pastoral guide titled "Blessings Give Love Strength: Blessings for Couples Who Love Each Other." The document went far beyond the Vatican's declaration, though it essentially codified what had already become common practice in many European dioceses: offering blessings to all couples who turn to the Church, regardless of their circumstances.
Of Germany's 27 dioceses, only five—Cologne, Augsburg, Regensburg, Passau, and Eichstätt—rejected the guidelines. Now, however, Cardinal Marx, a heavyweight in the Church, has declared the text a "foundation for pastoral action." It comes as little surprise, then, that Pope Leo was questioned about the matter during his in-flight press conference on the return from Africa. His response was unequivocal: the Church had already made it clear that it does "not approve of formal blessings for couples—in this case, homosexual couples or those in irregular situations—beyond what Pope Francis explicitly permitted when he stated that all may receive blessings." At the same time, the pontiff added that there were "greater and more important issues" for the Church to address. Still, the rift between the German Church and Rome, already evident under Francis, persists into this papacy.
Unexpectedly, Pope Leo XIV received backing from U.S. Jesuit and LGBTQ+ activist James Martin, who acknowledged the pontiff's concern that steps beyond Fiducia supplicans could threaten Church unity as justified.
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