Once again, it seems Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio for those who believe he’s a gaslighting antipope) wants to change Catholic teaching without changing Catholic teaching.

Again: He wants to change Catholic teaching without changing Catholic teaching.

Confusing? You bet!

But we know Francis is…cunning.

On Dec. 18, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released Fiducia Supplicans, a Declaration giving approval for priests to bless “couples in irregular situations” and “couples of the same sex.”

Understandably, the Declaration has caused quite a stir, with varied reactions. The head of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Franz Lackner, asserted that priests “can no longer say no” to requests for blessings from same-sex couples. Meanwhile, in response to the confusion created by the Declaration, Malawi’s Catholic bishops have forbidden “blessings of any kind and for same sex unions of any kind.”

Crisis Magazine editor Eric Sammons wrote:

As commonly happens with such controversial documents, many Catholics are trying to blame the media for misrepresentations of the text. ‘The pope didn’t approve of blessings for same-sex relationships!’ ‘This doesn’t change anything!’ and other such nonsense….

Some Catholics might feel compelled to defend yesterday’s DDF document out of some misguided sense of defending the Church or the papacy. However, to do so actually undermines the very Church and papacy you seek to defend. Instead defend the perennial teachings of the Church regarding marriage, which Fiducia Supplicans gives lip service to, but ultimately rejects.

Father Thomas G. Weinandy pointed out in The Catholic Thing:

Second, to bless couples in irregular marriages or same-sex couples without giving the impression that the Church is not validating their sexual activity is a charade. All those present at such blessings know, without a doubt, that such relationships are sexual in nature. No one is fooled. Actually, they are rejoicing that such sexual relations are being blessed. That’s the point of these blessings. It is not their sexual abstinence being blessed, but their sexual indulgence….

Blessings are the Spirit-filled graces that the Father bestows upon his adopted children who abide in his Son, Jesus Christ, as well as upon those whom he desires to be so. Attempting immorally to exploit God’s blessings makes a mockery of his divine goodness and love.

Not surprisingly, Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago welcomes the Declaration.

I’m interested to see how many bishops in the U.S. might require their priests to bless same-sex couples who make the request. I asked one priest of a traditional community based in Chicago if he thinks Cupich will require the priests of the community to bless requesting same-sex couples. He responded, “I do not. And we will not. That would be a pretty petty move.”

Indeed it would. But then, we’re talking about Cupich – and Cupich’s boss – here.

The archdiocese has not responded to my inquiry about whether Cupich would make such a requirement of his priests.

Merry Christmas, everyone.