God welcomes all: Same-sex Catholic couples win right to receive blessings
The Vatican says in a landmark ruling approved by Pope Francis that Roman Catholic priests can administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not part of regular church rituals or liturgies.
A document from the Vaticanās doctrinal office said such blessings would not legitimise irregular situations but be a sign that God welcomes all.
It said priests should decide on a case-by-case basis and āshould not prevent or prohibit the Churchās closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek Godās help through a simple blessingā.
The Pope hinted that an official change was in the works in October in response to questions put forward by five conservative cardinals at the start of a synod of bishops at the Vatican.
While the response in October was more nuanced, Mondayās eight-page document Fiducia Supplicans, whose subtitle is On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings, spelled out specific situations.
An 11-point section was titled āBlessings of Couples in Irregular Situations and of Couples of the Same sexā.
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It allows for the blessing of ācouples in irregular situations and same-sex couples without officially validating their status or changing in any way the churchās perennial teaching on marriageā.
It goes on to say that under certain conditions a blessing ācan be given to all without asking for anythingā.
Such blessings are ādirected to everyone, no one should be excludedā.
The Church teaches that same-sex attraction is not sinful but homosexual acts are.
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Since his election in 2013, Francis has tried to make the 1.3 billion-member Church more welcoming to LGBT people without changing moral doctrine on same-sex activity.
Father James Martin, a prominent US Jesuit priest who ministers to the LGBT community, called the document āa major step forward in the churchās ministryā to them.
In a post on X, Martin said the document ārecognises the deep desire in many Catholic same-sex couples for Godās presence in their loving relationships,ā adding that āalong with many priests, I will now be delighted to bless my friends in same-sex unionsā.
The document said the blessing should not be linked to or timed with a civil marriage ceremony and be performed with none of the āclothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a weddingā.
Places for such blessings, it said, might be āin other contexts, such as a visit to a shrine, a meeting with a priest, a prayer recited in a group, or during a pilgrimageā.
The document was signed by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, the head of the head of the Vaticanās Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by the Pope in a private audience with Fernandez and another doctrinal office official on Monday.
with DPA
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