As reported by the National Catholic Register, linked to by Canon 212, and discussed by Anthony Stine over at Return to Tradition.
They constitute one of the bishops’ conferences in France. They are allowing blessing of the individual, not the couple itself, objecting to that word used in the document. It is essentially an act of resistance to the latest modernism coming out of the conciliar Vatican.
This is substantial coming now from a Western European country, one of the most liberal of counties, and from another entire bishops’ conference. It could be argued they are making a mental gymnastics interpretation seeing blessing of “couples” “as such” as conflicting with the document’s rule the blessing cannot give the impression it is approving of the “union,” and so therefore the proper reading of “blessing for couples” is “blessing for individuals in a couple relationship.”
On the other hand they are objecting to the word “couple” and the more common interpretation even by Cardinal Fernandez who wrote the document that it is blessing the relationship itself in its positive aspects. This seems to be the best response so far from bishops.
On one hand it is calling out the word “couple” as being an error since blessing the couple itself would contradict avoiding any appearance of blessing the sinful union.
On the other hand, they are actually saying we can accept the blessing of the individual, which shows mercy. The couple can approach the priest asking for a blessing, who should bless each person individually.
Meanwhile the other French bishops are embracing blessing the couple as such, which is not a surprise. What the dubia Cardinals could do is write a dubia asking “Is the blessing of the couple itself, of the relationship itself, or only of the individuals in the relationship?”
If/when Fernandez responds “It’s of the relationship,” then he would seem to be definitively teaching a doctrinal error if not a heresy, which already appears to be the case, and then the question is will that response include Pope Francis’ signature. And if so, will the faithful cardinals and bishops make a kind of intervention as I discussed recently in a post, my idea of having a conference of bishops in Rome. Until then, as it stands, the phrase “blessing for same sex couples” is at the very least “offensive to pious ears.” Kyrie eleison.
Blessed feast day.