Married homosexuals are not allowed to be godparents

The Vatican religious authority confirmed this in a letter to a Brazilian bishop. He sent six questions on the subject to Rome. The Dicastery recently published the response letter signed by the Pope on October 31 on its website. Accordingly, these groups of people are permitted to assume the offices if there is no risk of a public scandal or confusion among the believers.

However, the situation is different for people who live in a homosexual relationship. The Catholic Church considers sexual relationships outside of marriage to be sinful. According to canon law, someone who leads a life in accordance with their faith can be considered a godparent. Here the prudence of pastoral care requires wise weighing “in order to protect the sacrament of baptism and, above all, its reception,” says the current letter. This precious possession must be preserved because it is necessary for salvation. The possibility of another person acting as a godparent should also be considered. This restriction does not apply to witnesses at a Catholic marriage.

“Church is not a customs station”

In principle, according to the letter, the same conditions apply to the baptism of “transsexuals who have undergone hormone treatment and gender reassignment surgery” as to other believers. In addition, “the doors of the sacraments should not be closed for any reason,” especially not for baptism. “The church is not a customs station, it is the father’s house, where there is room for everyone with their difficult life,” the authority quotes from Pope Francis’ teaching letter “Evangelii Gaudium.”

This also applies “if there are doubts about a person’s objective moral situation or about his subjective dispositions to mercy.” One should never forget the “unconditional love of God,” says the letter. She is able to enter into an irrevocable covenant even with a sinner, which is always open to unforeseeable developments. This also applies if the person concerned does not fully demonstrate an intention to improve. The foreseeability of a new sin often “does not detract from the authenticity of the intention.”

Children in homosexual relationships

The letter also states that the sexual orientation of the parents is not a decisive factor in the baptism of their children. “In order for the child to be baptized, there must be a reasonable hope that he or she will be raised in the Catholic faith,” the letter says. It is irrelevant whether the parents live in a homosexual relationship, the child was adopted or carried by a surrogate mother.

The answers to the bishop’s questions essentially reiterated what the dicastery has already affirmed in the past on this issue, says the introduction to the letter, which was also signed by the head of the authority, Cardinal Victor Fernandez.

info By clicking on the icon you can add the keyword to your topics.

info
By clicking on the icon you open your “my topics” page. They have of 15 keywords saved and would have to remove keywords.

info By clicking on the icon you can remove the keyword from your topics.

Add the topic to your topics.