Statement of the Bishops of South Dakota – Joint Letter of Fiducia Supplicans
Dec 22, 2023
December 22, 2023 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, We have received a number of inquiries from the faithful concerning Fiducia Supplicans, a Vatican document published Monday on the topic of blessings. It specifically discusses the offering of a blessing by a priest to persons living in situations of unrepentant serious sin, such as same-sex sexual relationships, fornication, or adultery. Blessings can have a liturgical or ritual expression (e.g., the blessing of the sick or the blessing of an altar), while others remain less formal (e.g., the prayer before meals or a parent’s blessing of their children at bedtime). Blessings can be used to seek God’s protection against evil, to set things aside for the worship of God (e.g., the blessing of a chalice), or to ask God’s favor or…