Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe has spoken to AdVaticanum to clarify his role in a recent London Mass featuring an “LGBT blessing”.

Speaking exclusively AdVaticanum, Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe has offered a measured account of his participation in a thanksgiving Mass held at the Church of the Holy Apostles in London.

The event, held on 13 June, marked 50 years of friendship, partnership and commitment to justice between Julian Filochowski and Martin Pendergast, two longstanding figures in pastoral outreach to homosexual Catholics in the Diocese of Westminster.

In his remarks, Cardinal Radcliffe firmly distanced himself from any perception that he had participated in a specific blessing of the couple’s relationship. “I gave no blessing to anyone and had not been aware that any blessings would be given,” His Eminence said.

The Cardinal emphasised the orthodox nature of his preaching on friendship. “I said that friendship is a participation in the life of God. That is perfectly orthodox. I did not refer specifically to theirs. The Mass was a celebration of all friendship. I mentioned friendship in my own life, I think.”

The Cardinal added context to references made during the homily. “When they were referred to, it was in connection with a shared passion for justice, for which they are well known and recognised by the Church.”

Questions have arisen over the public nature of the occasion and the blessing imparted by the clergy. The text prayed: “Giving thanks that the Church offers blessing to those who seek it in spirit and in truth, we ask, O God of love, that your grace come down upon Julian and Martin as they mark the 50th anniversary of their relationship. May their love continue to be generous, ever attentive to the needs of others, and deepen all that unites them. May your peace be theirs and your joyful light shine through their lives, and the blessing of God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit come upon them and remain with them, now and forever. Amen.”

Cardinal Radcliffe reiterated his adherence to existing Church guidance on such matters. “The guidelines given by the Church are that any such occasion should be private so as not to cause misunderstanding. It was agreed that this occasion should be private. Why the privacy was not respected I do not know. So making it more public by writing articles about it would be against the will of the Church as I understand it.”

The Cardinal also rejected interpretations that framed the Mass as a celebration of gay relationships. “It was not designed to celebrate gay relationships as such. To promote it as such would be to misrepresent it. To do so for the purposes of exciting scandal would be morally wrong.”

The principal celebrant was Fr Jim O’Keefe, with concelebrants including Bishop John Crowley, Emeritus of Middlesbrough, Bishop John Rawsthorne, Emeritus of Hallam, and Canon Chris Vipers of the parish.

The event was later highlighted by New Ways Ministry, an organisation focused on LGBT Catholics. Among those participating were figures such as Sr Jeannine Gramick, who read part of the Gospel in dialogue with others, including theologian James Alison. One of the honourees also assisted in the distribution of the Precious Blood during Holy Communion.

The 2023 declaration Fiducia supplicans permitted spontaneous blessings for individuals in irregular situations under certain conditions but explicitly ruled out liturgical rites, fixed texts or ceremonies that could resemble the validation of a union. Earlier guidance issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2021 stated that the Church does not have the power to bless unions of persons of the same sex.

Julian Filochowski and Martin Pendergast, who entered a civil partnership in 2006 after living together since 1976, have long been active in advocacy and justice work for the LGBT Catholic community. Their earlier 25th anniversary thanksgiving Mass in 2001 reportedly prompted intervention from the then Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, who instructed the bishop scheduled to preside to withdraw.