a couple of women recount their blessing, 14 years ago

The Vatican authorized the blessing of homosexual couples outside the liturgy last December, but some Catholic priests did not wait to practice it. Géraldine and Elisabeth were able to benefit from it in 2010, during their PACS party.

Géraldine and Élisabeth have been a couple since 2006. If the first lives her faith within the framework of the home, in a personal way, the second is a very practicing Catholic. When in 2009, they decided to unite, the signing of their PACS was quick, within the high court of Avesne-sur-Helpe in the North, and not very festive. This is why they decided to organize a party the following year, to celebrate their love, and to include a religious moment. “It meant a lot to me, explains Elisabeth. I pray regularly and enjoy getting together with other Catholics for the important things in life“.

But at that time, the context was complicated since same-sex civil marriage was not yet authorized, the debates around marriage for all had not yet taken place. So we had to find people who agreed to bless them and pray with them. Élisabeth says that “In France there was almost no group, no church, neither among Catholics nor among Protestants, which was open.”

“There was perhaps an American Protestant church in Paris that did that, but hey… We were neither in Paris nor among the Protestants, so we made do with the means at hand.”

The two women therefore contacted a Dutch Protestant pastor whom Elisabeth knew, and who agreed to bless them, because it was a practice that she was used to doing in the Netherlands. Then they contacted one of their friends in France, a Catholic priest, André. “It was much more complicated for himsays Elisabeth, in a context where it was not at all officially authorized by the Church.” The two women therefore welcome her choice: “He still had courage, because he did it at a time when it wasn’t possible.“.

A ceremony denounced to the bishop

After this celebration, someone still reported the couple to the bishop of Cambrai. Which led the priest to have to explain himself. Élisabeth indicates that he got away with saying that the two women were among his friends, and that he could not refuse their request to pray with them. “It was quite clever in fact, because it was not a militant response (…). Of course, deep down I would have preferred that he said more militant things, but I know very well how things work in the Catholic Church, especially at that time.“. The two women therefore decided to meet the bishop in turn, a meeting that they describe as special: “We weren’t really on the same wavelength.“.

Following this, the two women rarely looked back on the memories of this party. In 2013, when it was made possible, they got married. Today, they believe that it is important that the Vatican evolves on this theme, in order to show young people that being homosexual “it’s not serious, it’s not a problem, and that’s also to be celebratedsays Elisabeth. This shows that a path is possible for a same-sex couple, with religion“.