KUALA LUMPUR – Roman Catholic priests can now administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not part of regular church rituals after Pope Francis approved a landmark ruling today.
However, this does not confer on it the same sacrament as heterosexual marriages, and priests should decide on a case-by-case basis.
“Priests should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing,” according to a document from the Vatican’s doctrinal office.
This also reverses a declaration it made in 2021 that such blessings would be a sign that God welcomes all, reported Reuters.
The eight-page document titled “On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings” detailed specific situations, with an 11-point section titled “Blessings of Couples in Irregular Situations and of Couples of the Same Sex”.
The blessing should not be timed with a civil marriage ceremony and be performed with none of the “clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding”.
According to the document, it could be done in the context of a visit to a shrine, meeting a priest, a prayer recited in a group, or during a pilgrimage.
The ruling was signed by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, the head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and approved by the pope in a private audience with Fernandez and another doctrinal office official.
While same-sex marriage advocates welcome this move, the more conservative voices in the church said this was an invitation to schism.
Since becoming pope in 2013, Francis has adopted a more welcoming approach to the LGBT+ community without changing church doctrine. – December 19, 2023