Phew, what a relief. Because if he had done it in Latin, then yes, the fulminating punishment would have come. But apparently, as long as the Dominus vobiscum is not invoked, anything goes.
We live in fascinating times: you can bless practically anything—irregular couples, pets, or even newly purchased cars—as long as it’s done with a pastoral smile and a wireless microphone. What you can’t do is celebrate Mass ad orientem, nor use a Roman chasuble, nor utter more than three consecutive sentences in the language that for centuries was sacred.
Because that does scandalize.
The new criterion seems simple: grave sins are managed with “accompaniment,” but Latin with immediate sanction. And that’s how things are going for us. Infinite mercy for those who reinterpret morality is accompanied by zero tolerance for those who love the liturgy.
What a relief, I insist, that he didn’t do it in Latin. If he had said Benedicat vos omnipotens Deus, then yes, the full weight of the Curia would have fallen. But as long as he sticks to inclusive language and a spontaneous tone, he can bless whatever he wants.
It’s the miracle of the synodal Church: everything is flexible, except Latin.