Cardinal Reinhard Marx has recommended that priests in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising use a pastoral guide to bless couples who cannot or do not wish to enter into canonical marriage, including same-sex couples.
An internal letter to pastoral agents
According to the German outlet Katholisch.de, the Archbishop of Munich has sent a letter to priests and pastoral agents in which he proposes applying this guide as the basis for pastoral work in the diocese.
The content of the letter has not been published in full, but the archdiocese has confirmed its existence and its general orientation.
The document it refers to was approved last year by the German Episcopal Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), within the framework of the “Synodal Way”.
A guide to bless all kinds of couples
The text raises the possibility of blessing couples who do not access the sacrament of marriage, including remarried divorcees, same-sex couples, and unions that do not wish to be formalized canonically.
The proposal is supported by the Vatican document Fiducia supplicans, published in December 2023, which opened the door to non-liturgical blessings for couples in irregular situations.
Without binding character in the German Church
The guide was developed within a dialogue body between bishops and laity, which has no normative capacity.
Therefore, its application depends on each diocesan bishop.
In practice, the majority of German dioceses allow or recommend its use, although some - such as Cologne, Regensburg, or Passau - have rejected its implementation.
Towards a new official ritual of blessings
In parallel, the Benediktionale - the book of blessings - is being revised for German-speaking countries. In this new liturgical book, specific formulas for the blessing of couples are expected to be included.
The person in charge of the working group responsible for the revision has stated that they consider it necessary to incorporate this type of blessings, as it was one of the aspects that drew the most attention in the review process in Rome.