Pope Francis has given Catholic priests approval to bless same-s.e.x couples.
According to a document from the Vatican’s doctrine office, released Monday, the 87-year-old pontiff says allowing same-s.e.x couples to be blessed is “as an expression of the Church’s maternal heart.”
The announcement comes two months after the pope’s initial response to questions formally submitted by five cardinals about the matter, in which he indicated that he would be open to some Catholic priests blessing same-sex unions.
God never turns away anyone who approaches him!” the document stated. “Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God. … It is a seed of the Holy Spirit that must be nurtured, not hindered.”
However, the document stresses that any any “rites and prayers that could create confusion between what constitutes marriage…and what contradicts it are inadmissible.”
In the declaration, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández stated that the new rule didn’t amend “the traditional doctrine of the church about marriage,” and that it didn’t allow for liturgical rites
that resemble the sacrament of marriage.
The document stated that the declaration is intended to allow those seeking the blessing “to open one’s life to God, to ask for his help to live better” and live with greater faithfulness.
“The Church welcomes all who approach God with humble hearts, accompanying them with those spiritual aids that enable everyone to understand and realize God’s will fully in their existence,” the text read.
Rev. James Martin is among those praising the decision, which he described on social media as a “major step forward in the church’s ministry to LGBTQ people and recognizes the deep desire in many Catholic same-sex couples for God’s presence in their loving relationships.”
The pope previously made headlines in October 2020 when he declared his support for the civil unions of same-sex couples in comments featured in the documentary Francesco.