In the Catholic church, it operates pretty much the same way that it does for the Mormons. It's asking God to smile favorably on certain people or situations. The pope gives lots of blessings whenever he does a public appearance (whenever you see him extending his arm, and making the sign of the cross to the assembled crowd, he is giving a blessing.) He also does a blanket blessing for objects such as rosaries and Bibles. Every day that the pope is in residence at the Vatican, he blesses a pile of objects that Catholic pilgrims have left for him. They pick up those objects again each afternoon.
In this case, the pope is asking priests to not conduct the blessing like a wedding ceremony, but to instead use their judgment. It's hard to know all of the implications, being new, but it could possibly end up being rather like a ring ceremony outside of the temple for Mormons.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2023 11:58AM by summer.
On my mission, it was always funny in a facepalm way when a greenie would give a prayer in French, asking for god to "blesser" an investigator. Comp would immediately pivot to damage control.
For Catholicism, I'd say this is the ecclesiastical equivalent of secular/legal "domestic partnerships." The political um..."bestowing" authorities couldn't make it, or call it, "marriage," not at first, but they were sort of the next best thing--clearly a major step towards calling it, defining it, and recognizing it as "marriage."
No, it's not "marriage." Not yet. Just as political authorities were careful not to call domestic partnerships "marriage," Pope Marxcis was careful to qualify this: "As such, pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or several people, that do not convey a wrong idea of a matrimony. Because when one seeks a blessing, one is requesting help from God.”
Those finding fault with this are complaining that their glass is half empty. No: your glass is 3/4 full. Pope Marxcis was schooled in "liberation 'theology.'" It appears his doctrinal pedigree includes sexual liberation theology. Everybody knows the skids (and other...um...things) are liberally (pun intended) greased.
You might want to step back from whatever overly right wing places you visit. Somehow you missed the idea that "sexual liberation theology" would include equality of women, and encouragement of women's reproductive choices.
I think are comparing crazy Catholic with extreme crazy Catholic, which is not the same as liberal anything.