Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Challenges Vatican’s Same-Sex Blessings Pronouncement as Illegal Under Eastern Canon Law

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) has expressed disagreement with a recent Vatican declaration allowing priests to offer blessings to same-sex couples. The UGCC argues that the pronouncement, issued by the Vatican’s doctrinal office, does not apply to Eastern Catholic Churches and is therefore legally irrelevant to its members.

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the UGCC, stated that the declaration focuses on the Latin Church’s pastoral approach and fails to address the specific teachings and canons governing Eastern Catholic Churches. He emphasized that the document does not align with the Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches (CCC), particularly canon 1492, which outlines the autonomy of Eastern Catholic Churches within the Catholic communion.

Shevchuk noted that the Vatican’s Fiducia Supplicans document does not engage with the faith or moral teachings relevant to Eastern Christians. According to the UGCC, the declaration is limited to the Latin Church and holds no legal authority for its faithful. The church maintains that its own teachings on marriage and family remain unchanged and must be upheld in accordance with Catholic doctrine.

While some interpret the Vatican’s move as a step toward greater inclusivity, LGBTQ+ advocates have raised concerns that it may inadvertently reinforce the church’s view of same-sex relationships as secondary to heterosexual unions. The Vatican’s doctrinal office, in interpreting Pope Francis’s letter to conservative cardinals, outlined conditions for blessings that do not equate to marriage.

The UGCC has called for clear adherence to Church teachings, stressing that priestly blessings should serve an evangelistic and catechetical purpose without compromising the Church’s stance on marriage. The church advocates for avoiding ambiguous gestures that could mislead or distort the teachings of the Gospel and the Catholic faith.

In its response, the UGCC underscores the importance of maintaining doctrinal fidelity and clarity. It argues that any pastoral gestures must align with the Church’s understanding of family as a sacred and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, elevated to the sacrament of marriage by Christ. The church’s position reflects its commitment to preserving the integrity of Catholic teachings within the Eastern Catholic tradition.

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