On Monday, the Vatican gave blessings to same-s*x couples approval, but they stipulated that they not be delivered in conjunction with civil unions or weddings, nor should they be formed as a Catholic rite.
The Vatican supported “the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same s*x” in a document that Pope Francis endorsed.
“One should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing,” it said.
However, it does not change the Catholic Church’s stance on same-s*x marriages or unions. The Church insists marriage is only between a man and a woman, for the purpose of having children.
“This blessing should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them,” the document stressed.
The document’s preface quoted the head of the Vatican’s religious department, who wrote it, as stating that it was “a broadening and enrichment” of the Vatican’s position on blessings, “based on the pastoral vision of Pope Francis,” who desires an inclusive Church.
The Vatican said in 2021 that since God cannot “bless sin,” the Church is powerless to grant blessings to same-s*x couples.
It maintained that line on Monday.Blessings for same-s*x couples cannot be “performed with any clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding” in order “to avoid any form of confusion or scandal.”
“Such a blessing may instead find its place in other contexts, such as a visit to a shrine, a meeting with a priest, a prayer recited in a group, or during a pilgrimage,” it said.