Pope rebukes Germany's bishops for allowing same-sex couples to be blessed

Pope Leo XIV explicitly rebuked German bishops for allowing same-sex couples to receive ecclesiastical blessings.

The Pope confirmed that the Holy See had made it clear that it did not agree with the formalization of these practices, which went beyond the limits set by Pope Francis.

The statement came during the pope's return trip from a visit to Africa, in response to Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Friesing, to allow the blessings based on local directives that he saw as being in line with the spirit of the Vatican's Fidelia Fidus document.

Liu, the first pope from the United States known for his social conservatism, noted that the focus on sexual issues threatens the unity of the church and distracts attention from more pressing priorities such as social justice, freedom of belief and gender equality.

He stressed that Pope Francis' previous call to bless everyone is not meant to legalize irregular or homosexual statuses, but rather an all-encompassing call for guidance and belonging to Jesus, warning that continuing with this approach could deepen divisions within the religious establishment rather than strengthen its unity.