No entrance controls for God’s blessing!

Reaction of the diocese the diocese of St.Gallen (Switzerland) leadership, written by Franz Kreissl*, pastoral director, to the published paper of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, denial of the blessing of homosexual couples.

In 2015, Bishop Markus Büchel, when asked about homosexual couples, wrote: «Let us look forward to every relationship in which the partners accept each other as equal, valuable, beloved children of God, respecting the dignity of the other and the welfare of trans people! ” and further: “I see it as the task of the church today to go with people on a path on which they can integrate their sexuality as a gift from God in their lives and in the shaping of their relationships.” It depends on the relationship, on the fact that each and every believer can mature, live and shape their own humanity in all its facets. Excluding a certain group as “sinful” from the outset without looking at the individual is not permitted.

With its writing, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith makes itself the controller over whom God’s blessing may or may not reach – and that is inappropriate and wrong, because the church is not the guardian of God’s blessing. Paul writes to the churches in Galatia: “With Abraham, who unshakably trusted in God, will all be blessed who believe as he did” (Gal 3: 9). Since Abraham it has been part of the determination of people who believe in God that they should be a blessing for others.

The church has the mandate to give this blessing of God and to promise it to the people – not from its own resources, but as a mediator. I do not know anything about God’s entry conditions. Especially at a time when the deeply hidden sins that were committed in the room and in the name of the Church are coming to light and triggering necessary but painful processes, it is comforting to know that God’s blessing applies to all people.

Without this knowledge there would really be little hope in the church; on the contrary, we all live from God’s promise. Therefore, the Church must not exclude anyone from blessing. Our job is to be a blessing.

The blessing itself comes from God – and thank God it does not depend on the person who blesses.

*Franz Kreissl, pastoral director of the diocese of St.Gallen, member of the diocese leadership.

Original text: Keine Eingangskontrollen für Gottes Segen!