Bishops in Belgium defy Vatican, publish ceremony for blessing same-sex unions & more news

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Subscribe to our newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/ewtn/vatican Flemish Roman Catholic bishops on Tuesday issued a document effectively allowing the blessing of same-sex unions, seemingly in direct defiance of a ruling against such practices by the Vatican's doctrinal office last year.The document published on the website of the Belgian bishops conference suggested a ritual that included a prayer and a benediction for stable same-sex unions while stressing that it is not "what the Church understands by a sacramental marriage".It said the Church wanted to be "pastorally close to homosexual persons" and be a "welcoming Church that excludes no one".It suggested a ritual that would start with prayers and include a commitment by the two people in front of family and friends to be faithful to each other. The ritual would end with more prayer and what the document called a "benediction".The Vatican published an official clarification in March 2021 that the Catholic Church does not have the power to give liturgical blessings of homosexual unions. The Mafia and the blood miracle of Naples The blood of Saint Januarius liquified on Monday at a Mass in Naples, Italy, where the Archbishop sharply condemned the city’s “cancerous mafia culture”. Archbishop Domenico Battaglia of Naples held up an ampoule containing the relic of the third century martyr-saint’s blood in the Naples Cathedral, revealing the liquefaction to shouts and cheers. More than 2.000 people gathered for the city’s patron saint feast, known as San Gennaro in Italian. The bishop is believed to have been martyred during the Christian persecution of Emperor Diocletian. The Holy See and China While a trial against Cardinal Joseph Zen is getting underway in China, the Holy See continues to work toward the renewal of the Sino-Vatican agreement for the appointment of Bishops. The Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, is moving toward establishing a mission of the Holy See in Beijing. This would be a diplomatic channel with the People’s Republic of China for the first time since ties were severed in 1951. While XI Jinping appears to have snubbed Pope Francis in his recent apostolic trip to Kazakhstan, and no encounter took place, the Holy Father said that he is ready to go to China to pursue dialogue. Francis in Assisi Andreas Thonhauser, Vatican Bureau Chief joins us to analyze Pope Francis‘ travel to Assisi and the Economy of Francesco Pope Francis’ pastoral visit to Matera The Holy Father’s trip to the city of Matera, in the southern Italian Region of Basilicata, comes the next day to mark the conclusion of the 27th Italian National Eucharistic Congress on the theme “Let’s go back to the taste of bread. For a Eucharistic and Synodal Church”. That day, Pope Francis will meet migrants and refugees, and will celebrate the Holy Mass and give his Angelus address.

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• Purity
• Blessing & Favor