Pope Francis Approves Allowing Catholic Priests To Bless Same-Sex Couples

Pope Francis has approved allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples, according to a document released by the Vatican’s doctrine office on Monday.

However, the pontiff has reiterated the Church’s stance that marriage is fundamentally a sacred covenant between a man and a woman.

The document, an elaboration of a letter sent by Pope Francis to two conservative cardinals in October, emphasized that an exhaustive moral analysis should not be a prerequisite when individuals seek a blessing.

It states, “When people ask for a blessing, an exhaustive moral analysis should not be placed as a precondition for conferring it. For those seeking a blessing should not be required to have prior moral perfection.” 

While reaffirming the traditional view of marriage as a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman, the new document emphasized that blessings should not coincide with civil unions or adopt elements traditionally associated with weddings.

However, it explicitly asserts that requests for such blessings should not be summarily denied.

The document provides an extensive definition of the term ‘blessing’ in Scriptural context, asserting that those seeking a transcendent relationship with God, expressing openness to divine mercy, should not face rigorous moral scrutiny as a precondition for receiving it.

According to the document, a blessing serves as a means for individuals to enhance their trust in God, expressing and nurturing openness to transcendence and divine closeness in various circumstances of life.

The document emphasized that the request for a blessing represents a seed of the Holy Spirit that should be nurtured rather than obstructed.

“Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God,’ the document said.

“The request for a blessing, thus, expresses and nurtures openness to the transcendence, mercy, and closeness to God in a thousand concrete circumstances of life, which is no small thing in the world in which we live.’

He added: “It is a seed of the Holy Spirit that must be nurtured, not hindered.”

While the Vatican maintains its longstanding position that marriage is an indissoluble union between a man and a woman, Pope Francis has consistently advocated for a more inclusive approach.

In a statement during World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, in August, the Pope declared that the Catholic Church is for “todos, todos, todos” — everyone, everyone, everyone.

KanyiDaily recalls that Pope Francis became the first pontiff to endorse same-sex marriages, stressing that gay couples should be allowed to have civil union.