Bishops in several European countries have in recent months permitted liturgical blessings for same-sex couples. While the text says such liturgical blessings are not permitted, it remains to be seen whether the Vatican will crack down on them.

If the text is followed by Vatican intervention on liturgical blessings of same-sex couples, it is possible that the document will eventually be seen as more restrictive than the current practice in some parts of the Church.

But if the Vatican doesn’t act on liturgical blessings — which defy its actual text — Fiducia supplicans might well be remembered for a broad normalization of same-sex liturgical blessings — a concern many Catholics have expressed in the hours since its publication, with some expressing concern that the DDF’s text could prompt a schism among bishops.

[The unsigned analysis, in the form of a FAQ, is a fair and reasonable look at today’s declaration from the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Luke Coppen wrote a tight, factual look at its language earlier, too, that I linked in my post. As I wrote too, this technically offered more restriction than current practice after Pope Francis’ earlier letter introduced confusion into parishes. But it will remain to be seen how the Church actually polices itself. — Ed]