GUWAHATI: Pope Francis has granted permission for Roman Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples on Monday. The decision, announced by the Vatican, marks the pontiff's most definitive step towards creating a more inclusive and pastoral church.
Traditionally, the Vatican maintained that blessing same-sex unions would contradict established church doctrine, which holds that marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman.
"It is precisely in this context that one can understand the possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples without officially validating their status or changing in any way the Church’s perennial teaching on marriage," the document released by the Vatican's doctrine office read.
The Vatican's declaration, presented as a rare and notable document by the church's office on doctrine, was introduced by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández.
According to Fernández, the directive does not alter the church's traditional doctrine on marriage, as it explicitly prohibits any liturgical rite that might be mistaken for the sacrament of marriage.
Crucially, the ruling specifies that blessings for same-sex couples should not take place during or be associated with civil or same-sex union ceremonies.
It cautions against any clothing, gestures, or words that might resemble those used in a wedding. Instead, the Vatican suggests that such blessings are more appropriately conducted during meetings with a priest, visits to shrines, pilgrimages, or as prayers recited in group settings.
