Pope Francis Allows Priests To Bless Same-Sex Couples

Pope Francis has given formal approval for priests to bless same-sex couples, a significant shift in Vatican policy. 

The new document, released by the Vatican’s doctrine office on Monday, expands on a letter previously sent by Pope Francis to two conservative cardinals in October. The document clarifies that blessings for same-sex couples can be offered under certain circumstances, as long as they do not confuse the ritual with the sacrament of marriage.

While it emphasizes that marriage remains a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman, the document stresses that the blessings in question should be non-liturgical and distinct from civil unions. It advises against the use of specific wedding rituals, clothing or gestures. 

However, the document asserts that requests for blessings from same-sex couples should not be categorically denied. It presents a broad interpretation of the term “blessing” in Scripture and argues that individuals who seek a transcendent relationship with God and His love and mercy should not be subjected to exhaustive moral scrutiny as a prerequisite to it.

The document explains that a blessing offers people a means to deepen their trust in God and expresses and nurtures their openness to transcendence, mercy and closeness to God in various circumstances of life.

Pope Francis has consistently demonstrated a commitment to welcoming LGBTQ Catholics throughout his papacy. From his famous remark in 2013, “Who am I to judge?” to his statement in 2023 “Being homosexual is not a crime,” he has set himself apart from his predecessors in his promotion of inclusivity.

Francis DeBernardo of New Ways Ministry, an organization that supports LGBTQ Catholics, remarked on the significance of the approval and stated that while the approval of same-gender blessings was already a pastoral decision, the acknowledgment that people should not be subjected to exhaustive moral analysis to receive God’s love and mercy represents a more significant step.

The Vatican maintains its stance that marriage constitutes an indissoluble union between a man and a woman and has long opposed same-sex marriage.

In 2021, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith explicitly stated that the church could not bless unions between same-sex couples because “God cannot bless sin.”

However, the new document indicates a departure from this position. After the outcry that ensued due to the publication of the 2021 document, Pope Francis replaced the official responsible for it and began to pave the way for a reversal.

The document emphasizes the need for the church to refrain from doctrinal or disciplinary frameworks that lead to narcissistic and authoritarian elitism. While it acknowledges that people in “irregular” unions that involve extramarital sex, whether same-sex or heterosexual, are in a state of sin, the document asserts that this should not deprive them of God’s love or mercy. It states that even individuals with clouded relationships with God due to sin can still seek a blessing and extend their hand to God. Such a blessing does not legitimize anything, but the church should refrain from judgment.

In a speech read at the COP28 climate change conference in Dubai earlier this month, the Pope called for an end to the use of fossil fuels.

In November, Pope Francis removed a Texas bishop who spoke out against his progressive policies.