Germany's Catholic bishops and lay representatives have agreed to request the Church's approval of blessings for same-sex unions during a three-day meeting that was held as part of the "Synodal Path," eliciting criticism from others in the Church.

“Let us clearly and vigorously denounce this ‘blessing of sin’ which will bring grave harm to those involved and to the Church,” Tyler Bishop Joseph Strickland said on Twitter. “The arrogance is devastating.”

The Synodal Path was launched in 2019 due to the sex abuse crisis. The meeting at which the decision was made included more than 200 representatives of Catholic life in Germany, the Associated Press reported.

During the meeting, 176 participants voted in favor of approving same-sex blessings, to begin in March 2026. Only 14 participants opposed the decision, while 12 abstained. The crucial two-thirds support from the 67 German bishops was also attained, the Associated Press added.

Although many congregations already conduct same-sex union ceremonies, they do not have official approval from the Catholic Church. The Vatican released a ‘responsum’ on the matter in 2021 according to the Associated Press.

The responsum reaffirmed that the Catholic Church cannot bless sexual unions outside the marriage of one man and one woman, because “God cannot bless sin.” However, it did state that blessings could be given to individuals with homosexual inclinations who aim to live in fidelity to Church teachings. Despite this being a longstanding position of the Church, the document has been criticized by some, Catholic News Agency reported.

Pope Francis, in a January interview with the Associated Press, expressed concern that the process of deciding on blessings for same-sex unions could become excessively ideological. He has called for a two-part synod to discuss the future direction of the Catholic Church and ways to revitalize its mission, involving both bishops and laity, the news agency said.