The event that recently took place in the Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Neratov, Czech Republic, can only be described as a serious spiritual, ecclesiastical, and cultural scandal.
A ceremony was held in the sacred space of the Catholic church, which was publicly presented as a "wedding" – or at least as a blessing of the union – of two men, with the participation of Protestant preacher Jiří Kantor, pastor of the Czech Brethren Evangelical Church.
The media subsequently reported on the event in a way that portrayed it as a touching expression of love and a "breakthrough moment" of openness for the Church. However, this image is deeply misleading. It is not an expression of Christian love, but a dangerous blurring of the boundaries between truth and ideology, between mercy and relativism, between authentic faith and its media caricature.
I spoke with Franciscan and military chaplain Leopold Jaroslav Jablonský [the author of this text is related to Chaplain Jablonský, editor's note] about this issue. According to him, it is necessary to distinguish between exceptional historical circumstances and today's practice. In the past, it did happen in certain regions that one church was used by several Christian denominations, especially in times of emergency or on the basis of special agreements.
Similar solutions also existed for chapels and are still considered in exceptional cases today, for example in Demänovská Valley, where a church to be used by several churches is to be built. However, these are strictly agreed and exceptional cases, not a generally applicable precedent.
Since 2000, the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Neratov has also been used by other non-Catholic churches, for example for funerals, baptisms, and concerts, on the basis of an agreement and official permission from the bishop in Hradec Králové.
From the perspective of Catholic teaching, he believes that the very fact that a Catholic priest allowed such a ceremony to take place is, at the very least, extremely strange and controversial. In this case, it was a wedding, and the Catholic Church clearly teaches that marriage is exclusively a union between a man and a woman.
The diocese based in Hradec Králové, under which the church falls, expressed a similar opinion to Štandard. According to its statement, this ceremony is completely unacceptable and absurd! They add that same-sex marriage does not exist in the Catholic Church and it is not possible to perform such a ceremony in a Catholic church.
A Catholic church is not a neutral space
A fundamental fact that many people ignore, whether intentionally or out of ignorance, is that a Catholic church is not a "public space" in the usual sense of the word. It is not just a historical monument that can be used for any ceremony simply because it is aesthetically impressive or attractive to the media.
A Catholic church is consecrated to God, set aside for worship, and bound by the doctrinal and liturgical norms of the Catholic Church.
Every ceremony that takes place in it has both symbolic and real theological significance. It does not matter what we call it – whether "wedding," "blessing," or "confirmation of union." A public ceremony of two persons of the same sex in a Catholic church objectively creates the impression that the Church approves or at least tolerates such a union. And this is in direct contradiction to its teaching.
The question of consecration of a church is key in this context. Consecration sets aside a church exclusively for worship in accordance with the teachings of the Church. If a ceremony is held in it that is contrary to the doctrinal and moral framework, according to Chaplain Jablonský, a legitimate question arises as to whether the canonical framework of church law has been exceeded and whether a form of desecration of sacred space has occurred.
The diocese responded to this question by stating that the church had not been desecrated because it was not a Catholic wedding ceremony.
The Church traditionally deals with such situations through penitential rites or other corrective measures, precisely because it is not a purely administrative problem, but a spiritual reality. According to the diocese, no ecclesiastical punishment can be imposed here, because it was a coincidence, a misunderstanding, and unexpected circumstances. The local priest did not allow anything like this, nor does he have the authority to do so, the bishop was not aware of it, and no desecration took place. Based on this incident, the current diocesan bishop has taken measures to prevent a similar situation from recurring.
Marriage according to the Church is not a matter of opinion
Catholic teaching on marriage is not the result of a vote or social consensus. It is rooted in Scripture, natural law, and the two-thousand-year-old tradition of the Church. Marriage is understood as a permanent union between a man and a woman, open to procreation and the raising of children.
This view is not an expression of hatred towards persons with homosexual tendencies, but an expression of the objective moral order that the Church considers true and binding.
That is why the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith explicitly stated in 2021 that the Church does not have the power to bless same-sex unions. Not because it rejects people, but because it cannot bless a relationship that it does not consider morally ordered according to God's plan.
If a ceremony that denies this fundamental principle takes place in a Catholic church, it is not a trivial matter or a "pastoral experiment." It is an attack on the very foundations of Catholic morality.
The Church can and should give blessings to individuals who sincerely seek God and His help. This is a supportive, pastoral blessing of a person, not a liturgical approval of their lifestyle. The Church never blesses sin or a relationship that would implicitly ratify it, explained Father Jablonský.
Will heads roll?
According to a statement from the diocese, Pastor Josef Suchár clearly told two men who had asked him some time ago to prepare their wedding that such a wedding ceremony was not possible. However, he offered them a conversation about Christian life, after which the men did not return.
Later, however, someone booked the church for a traditional wedding at the parish office when the local priest was not present. When he returned, he was surprised to see two men in wedding dresses in front of the church. The situation took him by surprise and he could not believe his eyes.
According to the available information, the whole case did not arise on the basis of the conscious consent of the local priest, but under circumstances that were not clear in advance and that took place in his absence.
False ecumenism and empty phrases
The claim that some kind of "connection between churches" took place in Neratov deserves special attention. Such language is a typical example of false ecumenism, which confuses unity in truth with unity in emotions.
True ecumenical dialogue is demanding; it requires patience, sincerity, and respect for differences. However, it cannot mean that the Catholic Church allows ceremonies that are contrary to its faith in its churches just to appear "open."
Unity that comes at the expense of truth is not Christian unity.
Leopold Jablonský points out that every Protestant church has its own doctrine, as we can see throughout the world. If ecumenical dialogue were to take place at the expense of truth, it would not be unity, but a denial of one's own identity. For love cannot deny the truth or "put it aside."
As Benedict XVI repeatedly emphasized, true unity, which is an expression of love for one's neighbor, can only be achieved through fidelity to the truth, even if it means suffering.
The media as preachers of a new morality
The way in which the event was covered by Markíza television is another problem that cannot be ignored. The report was romantic, emotional, and one-sided. It did not include the voice of the Church, theological explanations, or critical perspectives. Viewers were presented with a ready-made story with clearly defined roles: "kind and courageous" actors on one side, "reactionary critics" on the other.
Such an approach is no longer journalism, but activism. In it, the media take on the role of moral educators of society—without a mandate, without responsibility, and without a willingness to engage in honest discussion.
Pastoral sensitivity can never mean denying objective moral truth. According to Chaplain Jablonský, Christians are called to live honestly and have a duty to speak the truth – calmly, respectfully, and without insults. However, today's culture often leads people to stop distinguishing between right and wrong. Absolution or accompaniment without truth would not be real help. Even rejection can be an expression of love if it is expressed in a friendly, respectful, and clear manner. In this case, the Catholic priest should have acted in this way.
Christianity has never preached love without truth. Mercy that denies moral reality turns into sentimentality. The Church has a duty to accompany every person with respect and sensitivity, but at the same time it has a duty to remain faithful to the truth it has accepted.
The event in Neratov is not a sign of progress, but a symptom of a deep crisis—a crisis of identity, authority, and the courage to say "no" where necessary. It is precisely at such moments that it becomes clear whether the Church is merely a reflection of the world or its prophetic witness.