50/50: Public Divided on Priests Blessing Gay Couples

The Catholic Church’s stance on homosexuality has long been a contentious issue. In a surprising move, the Vatican recently declared that Roman Catholic priests could now bless homosexual couples under specific conditions.

This decision, made by Pope Francis, permits blessings but emphasizes they are distinct from marriage ceremonies and cannot occur within traditional Church rituals. This landmark decision sparked a range of reactions, prompting Real Research to gauge public views on the matter.

Key Findings:

• Support (50.07%) for Vatican approval of Catholic priests blessing homosexual couples narrowly edged out the opposition (49.93%).
• Nearly everyone thought the idea of having special rules for blessing same-sex couples made sense.
• The survey showed people weren’t sure if the decision would help or hurt LGBTQ+ Catholics in the long run.

Roman Catholic Priests Give Blessings to Homosexual Couples

Catholic priests blessing homosexual couples, previously unthinkable, became a reality after the Vatican’s announcement. The survey revealed a high level of awareness of the declaration among respondents, with over half (50.02%) completely aware, and another 36.88% vaguely aware.

The responses regarding the Vatican’s approval of Catholic priests blessing homosexual couples were equally split. Results were incredibly close, with support (50.07%) edging out opposition (49.93%) by a hair’s breadth.

Read Also: 28% Say Pope Francis Should Remain in Office Until His Death

But Conditions Apply

According to a Vatican document approved by the pope, the blessings may be carried out, provided they are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies, disassociating them from marriage ceremonies or civil unions.

Nearly 80% found the specific conditions for Catholic priests blessing gay couples justified (highly: 50.63% + somewhat: 27.85%), while the rest found it unjustified (somewhat: 10.83% + highly: 10.68%).

What About the LGBTQ+ Community?

The potential impact on LGBTQ+ Catholics was another key area of focus. The survey yielded a relatively balanced perspective, with roughly a third each believing the decision would have a positive (36.2%), negative (33.72%), or neutral (30.08%) impact.

Perhaps the most debated question regarding Catholic priests blessing homosexual couples concerns the alignment of these blessings with Church teachings. A majority (63.17%) believed offering blessings to homosexual couples contradicted the Church’s stance on marriage.

Maybe the Church is Changing Its Mind?

Despite this, almost 80% (absolutely, 36.68%, and probably, 43.3%) viewed Pope Francis’ actions as a genuine effort to promote inclusivity within the Church. This sentiment, coupled with the strong support (57.45%) for eventual recognition of same-sex marriage alongside traditional marriage, suggests a potential shift in attitudes towards LGBTQ+ inclusion within Catholicism.

Read Also: Greece Allows Same-Sex Civil Marriage; Historic or Anti-Christian?