Conservative Catholic bishops in various countries have objected to Pope Francis’ recent permission on blessings for gay couples, underscoring the divisiveness of the issue in the global church.

The bishops of Zambia, Malawi and the principal archdiocese of Kazakhstan prohibited their priests from offering such blessings. The bishops of Ukraine lamented what they called the ambiguity of a recent Vatican declaration’s wording, which they warned could suggest approval of gay relationships. …

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which largely opposes Francis’ liberalizing agenda, issued a terse response to Monday’s guidelines from the Vatican, stressing that the document didn’t change doctrine on marriage, which the church defines as the union of one man and one woman.

[This is destined to be a point of internal conflict. The bishops of Africa and Asia are under a lot of pressure on Catholic family doctrine as they evangelize to people accustomed to polygamy and other heterodox relationships. They warned the Vatican during the Synod on the Family (which I covered from the Vatican in 2014) of the corrosive effects this ambiguity would have, and they will act to stanch those firmly no matter what bishops in other areas decide to do. Look for this to fester for a while, and if the Pope doesn’t offer more clarity, to break out into open dissent. — Ed]