Several German dioceses have officially incorporated the manual Segen gibt der Liebe Kraft («Blessing Gives Strength to Love») into their pastoral guidelines, which includes blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples and divorced persons who have remarried civilly. This decision comes despite the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and Pope Leo XIV himself expressly rejecting the establishment of formal rites for these unions.
The dioceses of Limburg, Osnabrück and Aachen have published the document in their official bulletins, while Trier has incorporated it into its pastoral practice and Rottenburg-Stuttgart has recommended its application, according to the German Catholic press.
The guide was approved in April 2025 by the German Bishops’ Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), within the framework of proposals arising from the German Synodal Way. Although presented as a non-binding guideline, its inclusion in diocesan bulletins represents a step toward institutional implementation.
The text provides for celebrations with music, hymns and biblical readings, although its authors warn that these should not be confused with the liturgy of marriage. They also maintain that the document was drafted in close consultation with Rome, a claim that contrasts with subsequent interventions by the Holy See.
Rome rejects formal blessing rites
The Vatican’s position was expressed in a letter from the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, addressed to the Bishop of Trier, Stephan Ackermann, who is responsible for liturgy in the German Bishops’ Conference.
The letter, dated November 18, 2024 and published on May 4, 2026, explained why the Holy See rejected the development of formal ceremonies to bless couples in irregular situations or same-sex couples.
Fernández recalled that the declaration Fiducia supplicans, published in December 2023, allows for brief and spontaneous pastoral blessings, but excludes the creation of rites or ceremonies that could be confused with a marriage celebration.
The distinction is fundamental: the Vatican document provides for non-ritualized blessings for people who request them, but does not authorize the establishment of a liturgical structure intended to bless these unions.
Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed this position during the press conference held aboard the plane returning from his apostolic journey to Africa.
The Pontiff stated that the Holy See had already informed the German bishops that it did not approve formal blessings for same-sex couples, while recalling that the Church blesses all people.
Despite these statements, several dioceses have continued to implement the manual.
Cardinal Marx also recommends using the guide
Among the main supporters of these guidelines is Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising.
In April 2026, the cardinal sent a letter to priests and pastoral agents recommending the use of the document as a reference for blessing celebrations.
The archdiocese later clarified that it was an internal communication and had not been published in the official diocesan bulletin.
The decision gained particular relevance after Marx was received by Pope Leo XIV a few days after Rome reiterated its rejection of ritualized blessings.
The initiative has also not received unanimous support from the clergy in Munich. In July, 26 priests of the archdiocese publicly questioned the guidelines promoted by the cardinal and expressed doubts about their compatibility with the Church’s teaching.
The priests warned of the doctrinal difficulties involved in establishing specific celebrations for couples whose relationships do not correspond to the Catholic understanding of marriage.
The German episcopate, divided over Vatican indications
The implementation of the manual has highlighted differences within the German Bishops’ Conference itself.
While Limburg, Osnabrück, Aachen, Trier and Rottenburg-Stuttgart have taken various steps to introduce the guidelines, other dioceses have decided not to adopt them.
This is the case of Cologne, Augsburg, Eichstätt, Passau and Regensburg, whose leaders have refused to incorporate the guide and have referred to the criteria established by Fiducia supplicans.
On the other hand, the Bishop of Limburg, Georg Bätzing, and other prelates have defended the continuation of these celebrations.
The president of the Central Committee of German Catholics, Irme Stetter-Karp, has also stated that there are no grounds for withdrawing or modifying the document.
A spokesperson for the German Bishops’ Conference has recalled that the guidelines are not mandatory and that each diocese retains the capacity to decide on their application.
According to a count published by the German Catholic portal katholisch.de, fewer than half of the country’s 27 dioceses have fully adopted the manual.
The situation thus leaves an uneven landscape: while some dioceses adhere to the restrictions expressed by Rome, others continue to promote blessing celebrations with ritual elements.
The Vatican keeps dialogue open, without announcing sanctions
The controversy has also raised questions about possible canonical consequences for bishops who promote these celebrations.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin addressed this issue in June and considered it «premature» to speak of sanctions against the German prelates.
Parolin explained that any decision in that regard would correspond to the Pope and noted that dialogue with the German episcopate remained open, as reported when analyzing the response of the Secretariat of State to the controversy over blessings.
To date, no disciplinary measures related to the implementation of the manual have been publicly announced.
The incorporation of Segen gibt der Liebe Kraft into the official bulletins of several dioceses introduces a new element into the conflict between part of the German episcopate and the Holy See.
The issue is no longer limited to a pastoral proposal discussed within the framework of the Synodal Way, but affects concrete decisions by diocesan governments that continue to apply guidelines whose ritual dimension has been expressly questioned by Rome.
Read also
- Marx, in audience with the Pope after Rome’s rejection of blessings for irregular and same-sex couples
- Marx in check: 26 priests in Munich question the blessings for irregular and homosexual couples promoted by the cardinal
- Parolin avoids speaking of sanctions against German bishops for homosexual blessings