What does Pope Francis' new policy on blessings for same-sex couples mean for Catholics in Wisconsin?

Pope Francis' declaration that priests can bless same-sex couples, a landmark shift in church policy, is the latest move by the leader of the global Catholic Church to be more inclusive without changing its ban on gay marriage.

But what does the new Vatican document mean for Catholics in Wisconsin? Local theologians and experts on Catholic social teaching explain.

What does the Vatican's document on blessings say?

The document from the Vatican's doctrine office says people who spontaneously ask for a blessing shouldn't be denied it.

"God never turns away anyone who approaches him!" the document reads. It's an about-face from a 2021 Vatican document that the church couldn't bless same-sex unions because "God cannot bless sin."

It also says that couples seeking a transcendent relationship with God and looking for his love and mercy shouldn’t be subject to an "exhaustive moral analysis" to receive a blessing.

At the same time, it reaffirms the church's position that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman.

“There is no intention to legitimize anything, but rather to open one’s life to God, to ask for his help to live better, and also to invoke the Holy Spirit so that the values of the Gospel may be lived with greater faithfulness,” it added.

How noteworthy is the new Vatican document?

Kate Ward, an associate theology professor at Marquette University, said the change was significant.

Blessings can be bestowed on both people and inanimate objects in the Catholic faith, but "the one thing that couldn't be blessed was a same-sex or unmarried couple," Ward said. "That stood out as a real injustice.

"This new teaching rectifies that," she said.

The policy is in line with the way Pope Francis has handled LGBTQ issues throughout his tenure, Ward said. He hasn't changed the church's stance on gay marriage. But he has continued to reach out to gay Catholics in an effort to welcome them.

"He's trying to treat people in same-sex relationships as human beings with dignity," she said. "He's always trying to walk that line between upholding the tradition, but extending it with mercy."

Craig Ford, an assistant professor of theology and religious studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, also said Francis is trying to hold a middle ground with the new policy that could leave both traditionalists and LGBTQ advocates disappointed.

Still, he said, for gay Catholics who have advocated for decades for greater acceptance in the church, "it’s like night and day. It's like a whole new era has opened."

Is there a set procedure for a same-sex couple to seek a blessing from a priest?

The document stresses that blessings for same-sex couples and couples in "irregular situations" must not be tied to any specific Catholic celebration or religious service and should not be conferred at the same time as a civil union ceremony. Moreover, the blessings cannot use set rituals or even involve the clothing and gestures that belong in a wedding.

In addition, dioceses and church organizations shouldn't establish a formal procedure for providing such blessings. They should be spontaneously given. Some listed examples of acceptable situations include during visit to a shrine, a meeting with a priest or a prayer recited in a group.

So, there would be no policy from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee that would lay out plans for such blessings to occur locally.

The declaration doesn't hinge on whether local bishops are supportive of the policy.

"It gives priests the permission to do this now if they’re willing to. It does leave it up to the individual priest," Ward said.

More: 'The church is our rightful home': At Catholic Mass for LGBTQ community, a message of inclusion

What does Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki say about Pope Francis' move?

A spokeswoman for Archbishop Jerome Listecki said he was not available to answer questions Monday afternoon about what he personally thinks about Francis' move and what he would say to couples who are considering seeking a blessing in the Milwaukee area. She provided a statement on Listecki's behalf reiterating the contents of the Vatican document.

“Pope Francis is talking about a pastoral blessing that a priest may give to anyone who is seeking God’s help, not a blessing of a marriage itself. The Church’s teaching on marriage remains the same, that it is between one man and one woman."

How do experts expect local Catholic priests and faithful will react?

Milwaukee-area priests and lay Catholics' views range from conservative or traditional to liberal or progressive. So there is likely to be a wide spectrum of opinion on the Vatican's move.

Prominent traditionalist Catholics nationally have expressed outrage at the change, which they see as sowing division, creating confusion and in some cases, verging on heresy.

Some LGBTQ Catholics championed the most recent change as a monumental step in the right direction. Others said it didn't go far enough toward accepting them as equal.

For those who want the church to publicly validate their relationship, Ford said, "What they're going to see is, 'Oh, we'll bless you, but.'"

"It's that 'but' that can always be so damaging and be perceived as really alienating," Ford said.

Because, Ford said, Wisconsin's five bishops generally have not been at the forefront of pushing for change on LGBTQ issues in the church, "I imagine that you're not going to see a large public celebration of this document."

"You're going to see a lot more dioceses trying to explain what the limits are, how this isn't really 'changing' church doctrine," Ford said.

Ward was concerned about how backlash over the policy would affect local gay Catholics.

"I hope that Catholics remember in their reaction to this that LGBT Catholics are part of our communities, are in the pews with us, and remember charity in their reactions to this news," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How Pope Francis' same-sex blessing policy affects Wisconsin Catholics