-Pope Francis has formally allowed Catholic priests to bless LGBTQ+ couples
-This is a significant shift in the Catholic Church’s approach to same-sex marriages
Catholic priests are now free to bless same-sex couples, provided they are not part of the regular church or liturgies.
Also, the document approved by the Pope says the blessings can be performed as long as they are not performed in conjunction with a civil union.
In October 2022, the Pope caused a buzz after blessing same-sex couples.
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The recent pronouncement also marks a shift from a 2021 ruling from the Vatican doctrine office, which barred any blessings on the premise that “God cannot bless sin.”
Notably, the doctrine department is now led by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, an Argentinian prelate and ally of Francis, who has stuck to a different tone than his predecessors.
“When people ask for a blessing, an exhaustive moral analysis should not be placed as a precondition for conferring it,” the declaration, written by Cardinal Fernandez and another official, says.
“The grace of God works in the lives of those who do not claim to be righteous but who acknowledge themselves humbly as sinners, like everyone else.”
The new ruling says it is opening “the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex.”
However, it maintains that it is leaving decisions to “the prudent and fatherly discernment of ordained ministers.”
Pope Francis became the first pope to publicly support the LGBTQ+ community in January of this year and advocate against their marginalisation.
The pope criticised laws that have criminalised the LGBTQ+ population, declaring that God accepts everybody as they are.
He termed the laws unjust and asked the Catholic Church to be inclusive of all people without distinction.
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The pope made these comments prior to his visit to Africa, a continent with a high prevalence of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
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