Pope Francis has approved a document allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, a significant shift from his stance in 2021, when he said that priests could not bless same-sex marriages because God cannot “bless sin.”
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church is now saying that priests should be permitted to bless same-sex and “irregular” couples, under certain circumstances.
He however said that blessings should not be part of regular Church rituals or related to civil unions or weddings, according to report from the Vatican’s doctrinal office, details of which were published on Vatican News on Monday.
“It will be possible to bless same-sex couples but without any type of ritualisation or offering the impression of a marriage,” the report said. Furthermore, “the doctrine regarding marriage does not change, and the blessing does not signify approval of the union.”
It added that it continues to view marriage as between a man and a woman.
The Vatican said it should be a sign that “God welcomes all”, but the document says priests must decide on a case-by-case basis.
However, it stressed that the gesture must avoid “any form of confusion or scandal”, so that when a same-sex couple sought a blessing, it “should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them. Nor can it be performed with any clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding.”
Introducing the text, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Church, said that the new declaration remained “firm on the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage”.
But he added that in keeping with the Pope’s “pastoral vision” of “broadening” the appeal of the Catholic Church, the new guidelines would allow priests to bless relationships still considered sinful.
People receiving a blessing “should not be required to have prior moral perfection”, according to the declaration.
Father James Martin, a prominent American Jesuit priest who administers to the LGBTQ+ community, called the document “a major step forward”.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Martin said the document “recognises the deep desire in many Catholic same-sex couples for God’s presence in their loving relationships.”
“Along with many priests, I will now be delighted to bless my friends in same-sex unions,” he said.
Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis, 87 has embraced openness to progression in other areas, such as allowing divorced and remarried Catholics to receive communion.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.