Cardinal Jozef De Kesel backs prayer ceremony for gay couples

Belgian Archbishop of Malines-Brussels says he is open to reflecting on a 'prayer ceremony' to seal such relationships

Cardinal Jozef De Kesel, archbishop of Malines-Brussels and primate of the Catholic Church in Belgium, is open to reflecting on a 'pray celebration' for gay couples. (M.Migliorato/CPP/CIRIC/Catholic Press Photo)

Published May 7, 2018

Cardinal Jozef De Kesel of Malines-Brussels last week met with a small delegation from a local gay working group which had requested an audience.

Following the meeting, Cardinal De Kesel "expressed his concern for their well-being and conveyed his respect to them," Geert De Kerpel, the Dutch-speaking spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Malines-Brussels said on May 5.

In his effort to answer questions from the working group, "the cardinal also spoke of their relationships as couples, distinguishing these from Christian marriage between a man and a woman," De Kerpel said.

"However, it does involve a personal encounter," he said.

Cardinal De Kesel expressed his desire to answer the requests of believing gay couples who are involved in a stable and lasting relationship and who wish to benefit from a symbolic recognition by the church.

However, this could not be a "religious marriage" nor an "ecclesiastical blessing that too closely resembles the blessing of a marriage," De Kerpel said.

"If gay people still desire a Christian symbol of their proximity, the cardinal is thinking more of a celebration of thanksgiving or prayer.

"However, this would certainly not involve an exchange of consent sealed by an exchange of rings," De Kerpel said.

"To the extent that the church has maintained a certain reserve on the issue, it is to preserve the great value of marriage and the family to the greatest extent possible," he said.

On May 5, Belgian media broadcast the statement widely, emphasizing that Cardinal De Kesel was adopting a "revolutionary position."

But in reality he had simply confirmed the position the Belgian Church had already taken on the issue.

Cardinal De Kesel, 71, has been Archbishop of Malines-Brussels since 2015 and is well known for his open-mindedness on various issues.

In his first homily as archbishop he announced that he would work for a church that was "more open and more attentive to the poor, to the most vulnerable."