Priests are authorized by Pope Francis to bless same-sex marriages.

Priests are authorized by Pope Francis to bless same-sex marriages.

  

In an unprecedented step for the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis has approved the practice of priests blessing same-sex couples.

This remarkable break from conventional wisdom was codified in a document released by the Vatican on Monday, marking a significant advancement for the LGBT community inside the Church.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church clarified that these blessings should only be given in certain situations and have no place in regular Church ceremonies or be connected to marriage or civil partnerships. The Vatican maintained its unwavering stance, recognizing marriage as an exclusive partnership between a man and a woman, despite this change.

The amended text conveys that God accepts everyone, as the received document understands. However, it emphasizes the latitude with which individual priests can exercise discretion and the need for case-by-case decision-making. The prefect of the Church, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, introduced the statement and emphasized its adherence to the Church's fundamental teaching on marriage. He noted that this change, which permits priests to bless partnerships that are nonetheless seen as sinful, aligns with Pope Francis' pastoral mission of broadening the Catholic Church's outreach.

Notably, the letter stresses that prior moral perfection should not be a requirement for individuals receiving blessings. In the Catholic tradition, a blessing is simply an invocation to God for favor, usually made by a minister. 

It is very evident, according to Cardinal Fernández, that the new position does not validate the standing of same-sex spouses in the Catholic Church. The statement implies a more forgiving tone but does not represent a formal shift in the Church's stance. Notably, Pope Francis claimed in 2021 that priests could not approve same-sex unions because God could not approve of sin.

In October, Pope Francis had made hints about how open he was to the concept of the Church blessing same-sex couples. Before this formal announcement, some bishops in several nations had previously allowed priests to bless same-sex couples, raising questions about the Church's overall position on the subject.