Pope Francis Gives Greenlight to Priests to Bless Same-Sex Couples

Pope Francis has approved a measure allowing Roman Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples.

A document released by the Vatican Monday titled "Fiducia Supplicans" says a blessing can be given in certain circumstances, so long as it's not confused with the ritual of marriage.

The document adds it also can't be part of a civil union ceremony or include gestures, clothing, or words associated with marriage.

The document reaffirms the church's teaching that marriage is the lifelong union of a man and a woman.

However, it also states that people seeking a blessing from God "should not be required to have moral perfection."

"It is precisely in this context that one can understand the possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples without officially validating their status or changing in any way the Church's perennial teaching on marriage," stated the Catholic Church leadership.

As CBN News reported, in October Pope Francis suggested there could be ways for the Roman Catholic Church to bless same-sex unions after responding to five conservative cardinals who challenged him to affirm church teaching against homosexuality.

In that letter, Francis reiterated that marriage is a union between a man and a woman and that the Catholic church "avoids any kind of rite…that could…imply that something which is not marriage is recognized as marriage."

But added, "the church should not "lose pastoral charity, which must be part of all our decisions and attitudes."

"For this reason, pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of benediction, requested by one or more persons, that do not transmit a mistaken conception of marriage," Francis wrote in the letter, according to a translation from The Associated Press. "Because when a benediction is requested, it is expressing a request for help from God, a plea to be able to live better, a trust in a father who can help us to live better."

He did note that there are situations that are objectively "not morally acceptable."

In 2021, the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said its official position is that the Church cannot bless same-sex unions because "God cannot bless sin."

***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***