For Father's Day; a special prayer & blessing

 Blessing for Father's Day

God our Father, in your wisdom and love you have created us and called us your own.  Bless these Fathers, that they may be strengthened as Christian fathers.  Let the example of their faith and love shine forth.

In moments of joy, rejoice with them.

In times of struggle, give them your courage and perseverance.

Grant that we, their sons & daughters, may honor and appreciate them always with a spirit of profound respect.

May the example of St. Joseph inspire them to live their vocation with courage.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

We pray for all our fathers, that we show them reverence and love and that God bless them abundantly.  Amen.

For those who desire to be a father, that they will know God's care.  Amen.

For our fathers who have died, that God bring them into the joy of his kingdom.  Amen.

For those fathers who have lost a child through death, that their faith give them hope and peace, and family & friends support and console them.  Amen.

A Mother's Day Blessing from the Archdiocese of New Orleans

 Blessing for Mother’s Day

 Loving God, as a mother gives life and nourishment to her children, so you give life and care for your Church. Bless these women, as we celebrate this day in their honor. May they be strengthened as Christian mothers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth. 

Grant that we, their sons and daughters, may honor and appreciate them with a spirit of profound respect.

May the example of Mary, mother of Jesus, inspire them to live their vocation as Christian mothers and call their children to faith. Guide and protect them in challenging times and help them to continue to trust in you all the days of their life.

 Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Now you know; at Mass why does the Deacon get a blessing from the Priest before proclaiming the Gospel

 

WHY DOES THE PRIEST OR BISHOP BLESS THE DEACON BEFORE HE PROCLAIMS THE GOSPEL?

______________

It’s a moment many overlook during Mass: The deacon approaches the priest or bishop and says softly,

“Your blessing, Father.”

The celebrant then prays over him, and only then does the deacon go to the altar, lift the Book of the Gospels, and head to the ambo to proclaim the Word.

But why this blessing? Is it just formality? Or is there something deeper?

Let’s unfold the meaning.

THE GOSPEL IS NOT JUST READ. IT IS PROCLAIMED.

The Gospel is the living voice of Christ, not merely words on a page.

And so, the one who proclaims it must do so not in his own power, but with the help of God’s grace.

That’s why the deacon seeks a blessing before the proclamation, not because he is unworthy, but because the task is so great:

To speak the words of Jesus Himself, To announce the Good News, To become, in that moment, the voice of the Word made flesh.

THE BLESSING IS A PRAYER OF ANOINTING

The celebrant prays:

“May the Lord be in your heart and on your lips,

that you may proclaim His Gospel worthily and well.”

It’s not just a formality, it’s a spiritual preparation.

The deacon becomes a vessel. His voice becomes a channel for divine truth. And the blessing calls down the Spirit, just like at Pentecost, to fill him with fire and clarity.

IT RECALLS THE PROPHETS OF OLD

In the Old Testament, prophets never spoke on their own. They were anointed. Sent. Often trembling.

Just like Isaiah, who said:

“Woe is me… for I am a man of unclean lips…”

And then God purified his lips with a burning coal.

So too, the deacon, before announcing the Word, receives a blessing, as if to say:

“Cleanse my lips, Lord, that I may speak only You.”

IT’S A MARK OF OBEDIENCE AND MISSION

The deacon does not speak on his own authority. He is sent by the Church.

The blessing is a sign of obedience to the bishop or priest who presides, and to the liturgy itself, a sacred structure where no one takes honor upon himself, but is called and sent.

It reminds all of us that the Gospel is not a personal opinion. It’s a message entrusted, received, and announced in faith.

So next time you see the deacon bow and ask for a blessing, remember:

He is not just reading.

He is being sent.

He is not just speaking.

He is echoing Christ.

He does not rely on himself.

He relies on the Spirit.

And we, the Church, are about to hear heaven speak.

Think Fiducia Supplicans won't cause confusion? Ask this Uruguayan Bishop

 

Bishop clarifies nature of blessing given to celebrity same-sex couple

By Elise Ann Allen

Feb 27, 2024

ROME – A Uruguayan bishop has issued a statement clarifying the nature of a blessing given to a high-profile same-sex couple shortly after their civil marriage, saying it was authorized by the local nunciature and was fully compliant with a new Vatican document permitting such blessings.

On Feb. 19, Uruguayan actor and comedian Carlos Perciavalle, 82, and Jimmy Castilhos, 47, his partner and longtime producer, were married in a small civil ceremony, which they celebrated on Feb. 21 with a blow-out party attended by around 400 guests.

The party was described by the media as a “religious wedding” set to take place in the church of San Benito in Garzón, to be presided over by the church’s pastor, Francisco Gordalina.

Public details of these plans caused immediate backlash amid the Catholic community, prompting the Diocese of Maldonado-Punta del Este-Minas to issue a statement saying the venue was a private chapel and not a parish. The blessing was later moved to the couple’s farm in Laguna del Sauce.

Given the public backlash over the blessing and the headlines surrounding it, Bishop Milton Troccoli of Maldonado-Punta del Este-Minas issued a statement Feb. 22 clarifying the situation, saying that given public reaction, he felt the need to explain the decision-making process that led to the blessing.

After local media first began reporting that a “religious celebration” for Perciavalle and Castilhos would take place inside of a church, and the diocese’s subsequent statement, a meeting was convened at the couple’s request, “to personally discuss and clarify the situation.”

That meeting, Troccoli said, was attended by himself, the diocesan vicar general, and the pastor of the parish in question.

“It was a long, deep, and serene dialogue” in which various paragraphs of the Vatican’s Dec. 18 declaration Fiducia Supplicans authorizing blessings for couples in irregular unions, including same-sex couples and divorced and remarried couples, were read and discussed.

During this conversation, Troccoli said Perciavalle and Castilhos asked to receive a blessing, according to Fiducia Supplicans, as a couple “in an ‘irregular situation.’”

“It took a few days to be able to make the pertinent consultations,” Troccoli said, saying the diocese consulted with the apostolic nunciature in Uruguay on how to proceed, given the intense media interest.

The nunciature responded, Troccoli said, saying that “the blessing had to be given, since there was a document signed by the Pope, and that we should proceed accordingly.”

“We then communicated to the interested parties that the blessing would be given and reminded them that it would not be in a church, that it was a blessing of the people and not of the union, (it was not a ‘church wedding’), and that because of this it would be done discreetly, without the presence of guests; that it was a simple blessing,” he said.

After weighing factors of location and scheduling, Troccoli said the blessing was given privately at the couple’s home.

Troccoli acknowledged that media coverage of the blessing “may have hurt the sensitivity of some and may have confused others,” however, he said it also “moved some to come closer to discuss their personal or family life situation, thanking the Church for its closeness.”

“As the same document Fiducia Supplicans declares, the Church continues affirming the sacred value of marriage between a man and a woman, in an exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union that is open to life. This is not in question,” he said.

The goal of Fiducia Supplicans is to “pastorally draw near” to couples who find themselves in irregular situations, Troccoli said, saying this is not done “for ideological reasons, nor for propaganda, but seeking that the love of God reaches everyone.”

He said the novelty of Fiducia Supplicans and its pastoral implications “mobilizes us all” and is an invitation for the Church to conduct a “deep reflection on how to continue seeking paths of evangelization.”

“It is a great challenge, which requires prayer, discernment, and reflection,” he said, and invited Catholics in his diocese to “continue walking together in this time of Lent, which leads us to the desert to temper our hearts on the journey toward Easter and to renew ourselves internally.”

One aspect of the saga of the couple’s blessing that has drawn ire from critics of Fiducia Supplicans is the fact that Troccoli sought insight from the papal representative in Uruguay, setting what they argue is a dangerous diplomatic precedent.

In a Jan. 4 clarification on the application of Fiducia Supplicans, Argentine Cardinal Victor Fernández, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith which issued the document, said local bishops have the power to make decisions on the blessing of couples in irregular situations, as they know the local situation best.

Going to the Vatican for a simple pastoral blessing, for critics, could cause broader complications with a bishop’s ability to govern and problem-solve in their own diocese.

Perciavalle and Castilhos have also reportedly spoken about having a child through surrogacy, a practice that Pope Francis fiercely condemned and called on the international community to eradicate in an audience with the diplomatic corps accredited to the Vatican last month.

Further clarifications (editorial style) of Fiducia Supplicans, blessings, marriage and more

 

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith EDITORIAL

VATICAN

• BLESSING
• CATHOLIC CHURCH
• VATICAN
• DICASTERY

Fiducia Supplicans: Non-liturgical blessings, and Pope Benedict's distinction

An Instruction published in 2000 by the then-Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith distinguished between rituals inserted into liturgical books and pastoral or spontaneous prayers. The same criterion is now being used to admit the possibility of blessing irregular couples.

By Andrea Tornielli

The Declaration Fiducia Supplicans: On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings, published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in December, as everyone knows and as has been emphasized by many, does not change the traditional doctrine on marriage, which provides for nuptial blessings only for the man and woman joining in matrimony.

What the document delves into, by admitting the possibility of simple spontaneous blessings even for irregular couples or those composed of individuals of the same sex, without implying blessing their union or approving their way of life, is instead the nature of blessings. Fiducia Supplicans distinguishes between liturgical or ritual blessings and spontaneous or pastoral ones.

There are two ways that former, the liturgical blessings, can be understood. There is a broad sense, which considers every prayer made by an ordained minister to be "liturgical," even if it is given without a ritual form and without adhering to an official text. And there is a narrower sense, according to which a prayer or invocation over people is "liturgical" only when performed "ritually," and more precisely when it is based on a text approved by an ecclesiastical authority.

Some of the critics who have questioned the recent Declaration consider only the broad sense permissible and therefore do not accept the distinction between "ritual" and "liturgical" prayers or blessings, and "pastoral" and "spontaneous" prayers or blessings.

Among them, some object that even liturgy has pastoral relevance. But it is important to note that Fiducia Supplicans attributes a specific meaning to the word "pastoral". Namely, that of a particular form of care specifically directed towards accompanying those to whom the blessing is offered, in the image of the "Good Shepherd" who does not rest until he finds each of those who are lost.

Others argue that all prayers are "liturgical", and therefore all are subject to the requirements of the Church's liturgy. Pope Francis himself responded to this objection in a speech to the participants of the plenary of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on January 26th, insisting on the existence of pastoral or spontaneous blessings that are "outside of any liturgical context and form" and "do not require moral perfection to be received."

The words of the Pontiff thus confirm the narrower sense of liturgical blessings.

There is an important precedent regarding the distinction between what is liturgical and what is not. It is to be found in an Instruction of the year 2000, published by the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and approved by Pope St. John Paul II.

The Instruction was on prayers for healing. Point two of the first part of the document recalls that; "In the De benedictionibus of the Rituale Romanum, there is an Ordo benedictionis infirmorum, in which there are various prayers for healing.”

In the final part of the instruction, dedicated to disciplinary norms, there is an article (2) which states: "Prayers for healing are considered to be liturgical if they are part of the liturgical books approved by the Church's competent authority; otherwise, they are non-liturgical.” Therefore, it is established that there are prayers for healing that are liturgical or ritual and others that are not but are still legitimately admitted.

The next article recalls that those "liturgical" prayers are celebrated according to the prescribed rite and with the sacred vestments indicated in the Ordo benedictionis infirmorum of the Rituale Romanum.

These quotes from the text signed by Cardinal Ratzinger and approved by Pope St John Paul II,  show that the meaning of the term "liturgical" used in Fiducia Supplicans to define ritual blessings, which are different from pastoral ones, is certainly a new development but inserted within the framework of the Magisterium of the last decades.

Among the blessings, there are other distinctions: some represent consecrations, or the seal of the sacrament celebrated by the spouses (in the case of the nuptial blessing); others represent petitionary prayers elevated to God; and others still (such as exorcisms) have the purpose of warding off evil.

Fiducia Supplicans repeatedly clarifies that imparting a pastoral or spontaneous blessing - without any nuptial element - to an "irregular" couple that approaches a priest or a deacon does not imply and cannot represent in any way an approval of the union between the two. As the document states, it cannot be considered as offering “a form of moral legitimacy to a union that presumes to be a marriage” or “an extra-marital sexual practice”.  Instead, the meaning is that of an invocation imploring God to allow the seeds of goodness to grow in the direction He desires.

Pope Francis recent interview discusses Fiducia Supplicans, role of women in the church and more

 

Pope Francis  (ANSA)

POPE

• POPE FRANCIS
• INTERVIEW
• ITALY

Pope Francis: 'Welcome' is at the heart of 'Fiducia supplicans'

Pope Francis has granted an interview to Italian weekly 'Credere,' in which he discusses the recently-issued Vatican document 'Fiducia Supplicans', ecclesial movements, and the role of women in the Church.

By Salvatore Cernuzio

"Everyone, everyone," Pope Francis said in Lisbon at the 2023 World Youth Day in August, and repeated on numerous other occasions to reiterate the principle of welcome at the heart of the Church's pastoral mission. Likewise, he said it to describe spontaneous blessings of individuals who are in so-called 'irregular' relationships, including homosexual ones, as taken into account by the Vatican's doctrinal document Fiducia Supplicans which was issued in December.

Pope Francis also, in his interview with the Italian weekly magazine Credere, a periodical of the San Paolo Group, which will be published in tomorrow's 8 February issue, returned to the theme of such blessings, which have generated various reactions and controversies, and repeated what he had already mentioned in his audience with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith that drafted the declaration.

"I do not bless a 'homosexual marriage', I bless two people who love each other and I also ask them to pray for me," the Pontiff explained in his conversation with Credere's editor Don Vincenzo Vitale.

"Always in confessions, when these situations arrive, homosexual people, remarried people, I always pray and bless. The blessing is not to be denied to anyone. Everyone, everyone. Mind you, I am talking about people: those who are capable of receiving Baptism."

"The gravest sins," the Pope adds, "are those that disguise themselves with a more 'angelic' appearance. No one is scandalised if I give a blessing to an entrepreneur who perhaps exploits people: and this is a very serious sin. Whereas they are scandalised if I give it to a homosexual.... This is hypocrisy! We must all respect each other. Everyone! The heart of the document is welcome."

Movements

In the interview with the weekly magazine, which celebrates ten years since its foundation, born precisely on the occasion of Jorge Mario Bergoglio's election in 2013, the Pope retraces the years of his pontificate between personal sharings, such as his dialogues with the elderly or his memories in Buenos Aires, or other pertinent topics, including the Jubilee, "an event of grace" in view of which it is necessary to "rediscover the value and the need for prayer."

The Pope also spoke of the ecclesial movements and the involvement of young people in pastoral experiences such as those in developing or Latin American countries, where people are spoken to in "simple" language.

"There are also 'sophisticated' realities, and movements, the Pope says, that are rather "refined."

These movements, he says, "tend to form an ecclesiola ('a little church'), of people who feel superior. This is not the holy faithful people of God. The people of God is made up of believers who know they are sinners and go ahead. I do not hold it against movements, which do so much good."

"The movement," explained the Holy Father, "is good when it inserts you into the real Church, but if they are selective, if they detach you from the Church, if they lead you to think that you are a special Christian, this is not Christian."

Women's presence important, not ministeriality

The Pope's response on the role of women is also clear, in light of the constant appeals to restore a "female face" to the Church or, the most recent one, to "unmask" the Church. Pope Francis reiterates the difference between the Petrine principle and the Marian principle: "The Church is woman, She is bride. Peter is not woman, he is not bride."

"The Church-bride is more important than Peter-minister!" he said.

He then adds that "opening up work in the Curia to women is important," emphasising how women "help the ministry." He urged everyone to look at the small villages where there is no priest and nuns run parishes, baptise, give Communion, do funerals. "It is not the ministeriality of women that is the most important thing, instead the presence of women is fundamental," the Pope concludes.

New future appointments in the Roman Curia

Looking at the Roman Curia where several female appointments have taken place over the years, the Pope says, "Now there are several women and there will be more, because they do better than us men in certain positions."

Pope Francis cites Sr Raffaella Petrini, Secretary of the Vatican Governorate, "the women who are in the Dicastery to elect bishops" (who include Sr. Petrini, Sr Yvonne Reungoat, former superior general of the Salesians, and Maria Lía Zervino, President of the UMOFC), Sr Alessandra Smerilli, Secretary of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, and others.

"These are all posts that need women," he said.

Finally, when asked if he realises that he has initiated "an epochal change" from this point of view, the Pope replied, 'No, really! They tell me, yes.... I go ahead as I can."

Papal interview tackles the two state solution in the Holy Land and the reasons behind blessings for couples in irregular relationships

 

File photo of Pope Francis  (Vatican Media)

POPE

• POPE FRANCIS
• WAR
• ISRAEL
• PALESTINE
• MIDDLE EAST
• HOLY LAND
• FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS

Pope on Holy Land war: Without two states, true peace remains distant

In an interview with the Italian newspaper 'La Stampa', Pope Francis renews calls for a global ceasefire, warning the world is on the brink of the abyss, and says the recent declaration 'Fiducia supplicans' seeks to include, not divide.

By Vatican News

"There was the Oslo agreement—so clear—with the solution of the two states. Until that agreement is applied, true peace remains distant."

This is Pope Francis' judgment on events in the Holy Land, following the attacks by Hamas and the war that is destroying the cities of the Gaza Strip.

The Pope shared his thoughts with Domenico Agasso, a Vatican-focused journalist for the Italian newspaper, La Stampa, published on Monday.

Speaking of the many ongoing conflicts, Pope Francis invites everyone to pray for peace, expressing his belief that dialogue is the only path toward a peaceful future.

He called for all parties to "immediately stop the bombs and missiles and end hostile attitudes. Everywhere." The Pope called for a "global ceasefire," because "we are on the brink of the abyss."

Hopes for the Holy Land and Ukraine

The Pope explained his opposition to defining any war as "just," preferring to say it is legitimate to defend oneself but said it is necessary to avoid "justifying wars, which are always wrong."

He expressed his fear of a military escalation across the Middle East, but said he entertains some hope "because confidential meetings are taking place to try to reach an agreement. A truce would already be a good result."

Pope Francis defined Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, as "a crucial figure" who "moves well" and tries to mediate.

He said he speaks by video call with the Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza every day, adding that the "liberation of Israeli hostages" is a priority.

Regarding Ukraine, the Pope recalled the task entrusted to Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the president of the Italian Bishops' Conference.

"The Holy See is trying to mediate an exchange of prisoners and the return of Ukrainian civilians," said Pope Francis. "In particular, we are working with Mrs. Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian commissioner for children's rights, for the repatriation of Ukrainian children forcibly taken to Russia. Some have already returned to their families."

'Fiducia supplicans' seeks to include

In the interview, Pope Francis recalled that "Christ calls everyone from within," referring to the Declaration Fiducia supplicans that allows for blessings of persons in irregular or same-sex couples.

"The Gospel is to sanctify everyone," he said. "Of course, there must be goodwill. And it is necessary to give precise instructions on the Christian life (I emphasize that it is not the union that is blessed, but the persons). But we are all sinners: why should we make a list of sinners who can enter the Church and a list of sinners who cannot be in the Church? This is not the Gospel."

Regarding criticisms of the document, the Pope noted that "those who vehemently protest belong to small ideological groups."

He described the Church in Africa as "a special case," since "for them, homosexuality is something 'ugly' from a cultural point of view; they do not tolerate it."

However, he added, "I trust that gradually everyone will be reassured about the spirit of the declaration," which "aims to include, not divide. It invites us to welcome and then entrust people, and to trust in God."

Pope Francis admitted to sometimes feeling alone, "but I still always strive ahead, day after day," adding that he does not fear schisms.

"In the Church, there have always been small groups that manifest reflections of a schismatic nature. One must let them carry on and pass away... and look ahead."