He also stated that “those who ask for a blessing must not be given the impression that blessing them legitimizes what they do. Neither to the applicants, nor to whoever is observing.”
Finally, Cardinal Brislin highlighted the pastoral character of Begging for confidenceindicating that the document not only concerns homosexuals, but also “divorced and remarried people who have not had a declaration of annulment” and young people living in concubinage “who are not excluded from the pastoral care of the Church.”
“What this document says is that if these people come for a blessing, that blessing should not be denied to them, because a blessing is not a reward for perfection,” the Cardinal said.
In mid-January, another group of African bishops—the Conference of Bishops of the North African Region (CERNA)—led by Spanish Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, Archbishop of Rabat (Morocco), also stated his intention to accept the guidelines of Begging for confidence.