Vatican News: DDF responds to vademecum on blessings in Germany
The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, explains that the November 2024 letter also applies to the text of the current vademecum, which does not have the Dicastery’s approval.
The letter from Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, dated 18 November 2024, concerning the draft vademecum of the German Bishops on blessings for extramarital unions, is a valid response also to the text entitled “Blessing Strengthens Love,” which was definitively approved by the representatives of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) in April 2025.
The Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith made this clear to Bishop Stephan Ackermann, Bishop of Trier and President of the Liturgical Commission of the German Bishops’ Conference, during the last meeting held in the Vatican with the German Bishops on 12 November 2025.
The Cardinal clarified that the 2024 letter, published recently on the Dicastery’s website with the agreement of Pope Leo, was “the one and only final response”, including to the text definitively approved in April 2025.
“What was said in that letter,” the Cardinal Prefect told Vatican News, “also applies to the text of the current Vademecum, which does not have the approval of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.”
Indeed, although the final text differs from the original draft, it does not actually incorporate what was written in the 2024 letter because, although it speaks of spontaneity and freedom regarding blessings for extramarital couples, it proposes a kind of liturgy or para-liturgical ritual that is not permitted by the Declaration Fiducia Supplicans which was issued in December 2023. That Declaration states that with regard to blessings that “the Church has the right and the duty to avoid any rite that might contradict this conviction or lead to confusion” regarding marriage.
On the return flight from Equatorial Guinea on 23 April, responding to a question about the proposal to formalize blessings for homosexual couples in Germany, Pope Leo said that “The Holy See has already spoken to the German bishops.”
“The Holy See has made it clear”, the Pope said, “that we do not agree with the formalized blessing of couples, in this case, homosexual couples, as you asked, or couples in irregular situations, beyond what was specifically, if you will, allowed for by Pope Francis.”
I find it really difficult to understand why the Vatican is coming down so hard on the German bishops decision to produce a document suggesting a way of providing blessings for couples in “irregular” relationships. It smacks of a bit of a hysterical, fear-driven decision, terrified that it might cause “disunity” in the church. As far as I’m aware, the German document makes it very clear that the format of such blessings can in no way be confused with the sacrament of marriage. Who do they think would be unable to perceive that? Is there a suggestion that people are rather dim?
Added to that, who do they think they are hurting by this intransigence? There are many, many couples in “irregular” relationships who are happily getting on with their lives, happy in their relationship with each other and with their God. The people who are hurt by this action on the part of the Vatican are those Catholics who feel a strong desire for the special grace that the blessing would grant them. Aren’t they the people that our Church should be reaching out to serve? I applaud the German bishops and people.
There has been a de facto Schism in the Church for at least sixty years.
This will be formalized with the excommunication of the Clergy of The SSPX and the Transalpine Redemptorists in the very near future.
The German Bishops will never be excommunicated during the Pontificate of Leo XIV: the Vatican is sending mixed Signals.
Dermot, how much would you bet that this prophecy will not come true? : “This will be formalized with the excommunication of the Clergy of The SSPX and the Transalpine Redemptorists in the very near future.”
Dermot, on the question of excommunication if I remember correctly you once told us that you had been excommunicated and I asked you why but I don’t think you ever replied to me.
Paddy, I thought I did reply. My Apologies. In Trad Circles my excommunicated status and the reasons for it are well known.
I was excommunicated for writing an Article for a French Traditionalist Magazine, rejecting Bergoglio as an Apostle of Hell and asserting that Montini is no Saint.
I also rejected Pastoral non Binding Vatican II and all that flowed from it, with the same Vigour as I renounced Satan and all his Pomps so many years ago at Holy Baptism.
I regard my excommunication as a badge of honour.
Please note that I believe in the Perennial Binding Public Revelation of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church as taught at Trent and Vatican I, and by all pre Vatican II Popes.
I obviously reject the Bergoglian Synodal Church.
I passed on the Faith as it was handed on to me, to my two Daughters. Tradidi Quod et Accepi.
Now Study Group 9 is saying Gay Marriage is an Open Question.
As St. Pius V’s Roman Catechism teaches: “Matrimony is the conjugal union of man and woman, contracted between two qualified persons, which obliges them to live together throughout life “.
Paddy, my years in Dakar brought about the Malaria which has now landed me in Hospital again. I can’t write anymore today but I have given you the essentials.
If you would like more information on my excommunication, please let me know by reply and I will give Liamy my direct contact details. Talking is easier for me at the moment.
St. Pius V locuta……
Joe, many media outlets back up what I say regarding pending excommunications. Tucho is on record as saying that, should the Econe Consecrations happen on July 1st, at LEAST the SSPX Bishops will be excommunicated. This will be settled in that time frame. I love a pint Joe, but I don’t bet.
As Regards the Transalpine Redemptorists, they renounced Vatican II and all Popes from Montini onwards on May 2nd 2026. You can read their 21 page statement on their Blog. My Sources in the Diocese of Aberdeen say that they will be excommunicated in the not to distant future.
The Roman Catechism is the Catechism of the Council of Trent (Catechismus ex decreto Concilii Tridentini ad Parochos). Trent commanded its composition, for the use of the clergy in their preaching, and it was composed by a group of theologians led by St Carlo Borromeo, and promulgated by Pius V in 1566 three years after the Council. It’s not so much a case of Pius locutus est (sic, he was not trans) as of Ecclesia locuta est. It provided the framework of Catholic teaching for four centuries. Possibly one might cull phrases from its section on the sacrament of matrimony that would apply to same-sex unions, e.g. ‘marriage consists properly and essentially only in that obligation and bond which is expressed by the word “union”‘. The document underlines that conjugal union differs from all other unions among human beings. The big innovation of Trent was to define dogmatically that Matrimony is one of the seven Sacraments (thought the idea is found in Innocent IV, profession of faith for the Waldensians, 1208, and the Council of Florence, 1439. Trent reflects the DEVELOPMENT of this full-blown Catholic teaching on matrimony. It is perfectly possible that a future Council will extend the definition of matrimony to cover same-sex marriage as well,
The Leonine Synodal Church may very well allow Gay Marriage. With Characters like Fr. Jimmy Martin having Celebrity status and ABBA songs adopted by the Gay movement, being played at last Wednesday’s General Audience, you may well be proved correct, Joe.
The Bergoglian Leonine Synodal Church was founded by Jorge himself. So, it can defect.
In Divino Afflante Spiritu (1943), Pius XII, of Happy Memory, teaches that the Vulgate is error free regarding Faith and Morals. He was reiterating what was already taught at Trent. The Vulgate of St. Jerome condemns Sodomy: (Douay-Rheims Romans 1:27)
“And, in like manner, the men also, leaving the natural use of the women, have burned in their lusts one towards another, men with men working that which is filthy”.
Sacred Scripture is De Fide.
I think Joe, you need to look at the first clause in the Tridentine Definition of Matrimony:
“The Conjugal Union of MAN and WOMAN, contracted between two qualified persons, which obliges them to live together throughout life”.
It doesn’t say MAN and MAN for example.
So the Leonine Church with its Luciferian Logic, may well ultimately approve Gay Marriage.
The Indefectibe One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church uses normal logic. Being founded by Christ our King, its teaching on Matrimony will not develop to allow Gay Marriage.
Pius VII, of Happy Memory, in Auctorem Fidei, teaches “Ambiguity can never be tolerated in a synod, of which the principal glory consists above all in teaching the truth with clarity and excluding all danger of error “. This ties in nicely with Dei Filius from Vatican I on doctrinal development.
In Eternity Joe, we will find out which of us is correct. I am Happy to submit my opinion to the judgement of the Holy Ghost.
Dermot@5, thank you for that explanation. I much appreciate it.
Ask any young person in Dublin today what sexual orientation is and they will say that it is a natural variant of human sexuality. Paul in Romans 1 is reciting tropes of Jewish apologetic against pagans and what is de fide is the punch line of his argument: “Therefore, you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others, for in passing judgement on another, you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.” I once asked a Cretan what he thought of another zinger from the Pauline corpus: “‘Cretans are always liars, vicious brutes, lazy gluttons.” That testimony is true.” He replied: “St Paul talked a lot of rubbish.” Naturally, as a good fundamentalist, I replied: “How dare you, sir. Every word that falls from the Apostle’s lips is de fide, so it is infallibly known that you, sir, are a liar, a brute, and a glutton.”
Absolutely agree. Joe, ‘a natural variant of human sexuality’ or my own reply to the occasional homophobic bigot I come across ‘another manifestation of what it is to be human’.
Homophobia is the problem, not gays, just as misogyny is the problem, not women, and so on. https://www.facebook.com/reel/931568752810666
Sacred Scripture is not immune to phobic impulses — this is a highly disturbing realization, especially when we see the phobia acted out in biblically inspired hate crime, as in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Sola scriptura Christians have to make as much as they can of Scripture being its own interpreter (sui ipsius interpres) which must include its own corrector. Anglicans and Catholics correct Scripture by Reason and Tradition as well.
Perhaps it is time for the Catholic Church to get out of the “wedding business.”
It is the couple through their loving consent and commitment to one another that confer their marriage state. The Priest is the witness to their consent.
If at some point the couple decide “for me and my house we will serve the Lord” they could request a blessing and provide an acknowledgement of their decision to move together into a deeper spiritual journey. The church is fully equipped to accompany couples who request that their union become a sacrament.