We celebrated at Christmas the joy that God is with us, is among us and He has invited all people with merciful love to the communion with Him. In this spirit, we, the members of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, address the following message to the ordained ministers and members of our local Church.
The declaration Fiducia supplicans on the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings, issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on 18 December 2023, does not change the Catholic Church’s belief and perennial teaching on marriage and sexual morality. Considering the pastoral situation in our country, the Bishops’ Conference specifies that the ordained ministers can bless all people individually, regardless of their gender identity and sexual orientation, but they should always avoid common blessing for couples who live together in a non-marital partnership or in a marriage that is not valid in the Church, or who live in a same-sex partnership.
At the same time, we accompany our brothers and sisters living in special life situations with love and respect, helping them to gain a deeper understanding of God’s will by living according to the Gospel of Christ.
Budapest, 27 December 2023
the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference