“If we bless animals, why not a lesbian couple?”

By then, Enrique Gomez Rodriguez He also wondered that, “if blessings were made to animals and banks, wouldwhy not a gay or lesbian couple??” And he delved into the idea: “There are many Christians gay who belong to Church groups and are asking for it,” he alleged. In the same interview he also questioned “why can’t to access the women to the priesthood? Or to be a deaconess?”

If it has now returned to the newspapers it is because of an event that sparked controversy and that took place in the church of Our Lady of Belenin Miajadas. There, Gómez officiated the blessing of one couple homosexual of 30 years relationship, after a ceremony civil. Many wondered what the root of the problem is, since it is not really that a church catholic cannot bless marriages of the same sex.

This is, in fact, something possible Since last year the Statement of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Fiducia supplianswhich allows priests the blessing of shape pastoral.

However, the shape in which this blessing took place caused a reprimand on the part of the Diocese of Plasenciawhich issued a release pointing out that he parish priest did not respect the rules established by the same statement. “The forms, however, clearly contravened the provisions of the declaration, something that we cannot approve and that we deeply regret,” they quickly stated.

According to the statement, the blessing of couples of the same sex must be performed manner discreet and without being confused with the rituals own of the heterosexual marriage. However, in the case of the blessing carried out by Gomez RodriguezThey were used rituals Similar to those of what is “a traditional marriage” for the Church, which generated controversy and led to the intervention of the Bishopric.

Although recognize “the error” and to regret the consequences, Gomez Rodriguez defended his action arguing that his objective was to “do good”, approaching a world that considers necessary evangelize. This position reflects his commitment to a vision of the Church that moves away from doctrinal rigidity and seeks to “adapt to contemporary reality,” as he himself explained.

The couple stated in networks social their gratitude, despite the controversy: “A Church that takes small steps, but it does. Endless thanks, Enriquefor proposing to do the blessing within the parish and in our church of Belen, something that we do not hesitate for a minute to say yes to. “It was a beautiful ceremony,” they shared.

[Un cura oficia una boda gay en una iglesia de Miajadas, Cáceres: “Hemos tenido mucha suerte”]

The controversial priest

To better understand the figure of Enrique Gomez Rodriguez and his pastoral approach, it is necessary to explore his life and career in community of Miajadas. Born in Talayuela and coming from a humble family, Gómez Rodríguez was ordained as a priest at an early age and came to Miajadas as an assistant to the parish priest Agustin Cornel.

Since its beginnings in the community of MiajadasGómez Rodríguez stood out for his commitment social and his approach pastoral focused on the closeness with the reality of the people. With Cornelcarried out active pastoral work, participating in movements social and supporting the workers agricultural during the mobilizations known as ‘the tomato war’ or ‘the corn war’.

In addition to his pastoral work, Gomez Rodriguez was involved in various activities communityCollaborating with associations local and providing support to people needy. His commitment to justice social and his opening to the diversity reflect a vision of faith that seeks to integrate it into the life everyday and in the challenges contemporaries. In his own words: “He Shepherd Nowadays many times he has to go in front to pull people, other times in the middle accompanying, and other times behind to push. Be priest today for the society from today”.

In his pastoral approach, he has defended the importance to go out to meeting of the reality and show closeness to those who have traditionally been marginalized either excluded. This position has led him to question the rules established by Church in relation to topics such as blessing of couples homosexuals or the access of the women to the priesthood.

Although his action bless to one couple gay generates controversy and has been object of critics by the ecclesiastical hierarchy, Gomez Rodriguez is still a figure influential in the community of Miajadas. Sources consulted by HE SPANISH They maintain that, beyond the reprimand and controversy, which have led the priest to the obligation of not attending to the media of communication, Enrique Gomez to be continue celebrating mass in Our Lady of Belen. Now he will do it as one of the first cures Spanish people that has been shown open in public to unite homosexual couples in marriage.

Homosexual Christians

Raul Griefspokesperson for the Association CRISHOM (Community of Christians LGTBI of Madrid), which began to fight for the integration of LGTBI people in the Church and of believers in the collective LGTBI does 18 yearsserves HE SPANISH to address the situation of the collective in the Church in relation to recent events.

“A very important milestone has been the declaration Trust supplicans, that together with a previous one that existed in which the people homosexuals and transsexuals they will baptize their children unnatural and were godparents either godfathers of baptism, because perhaps there has been some progress. It is not a huge advance either, but it is a certain advance,” he explains, in relation to the latest progress of the Church Catholic.

This statementwhich has been the reason for the controversy, It allows the blessing of people who form a homosexual couple, as explained in previous points: “This is very important, but it is not a weddingis not a marriageaccess is not being given to that sacrament: for that we would have to change the entire theological basis that governs the doctrine of Church, it would have to be renewed, so that marriage is not focused solely on procreation; which seems to be what they are looking for,” he says. Grief.

He spokesman continues with that idea: “In fact, it seems so obvious that when two people (man and woman) are going to get married, one of the questions asked in that prior exam is: are you a powerless or do you know if your couple it is? And then if they are, then they can’t get married. The Church has been based so much on the procreation that has left out everything else, even the love of couples heterosexual sterileFor example”.

“We support the parish priest of Miajadas and we believe that we must continue on this path, moving forward. It is a path very similar to that of paper of the womenwhich is also relegated for the simple fact of being a woman,” she concludes.