By Marisol Bo-oc | 12:29 AM December 20, 2023
Pope Francis has allowed priests to bless same-sex couples, a significant advance for LGBTQ+ people in the Roman Catholic Church.
In the Catholic Church, a blessing is a prayer or plea, usually delivered by a minister, asking for God to look favourably on the person or people being blessed.
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church said priests should be permitted to bless same-sex and “irregular” couples, under certain circumstances.
But the Vatican said blessings should not be part of regular Church rituals or related to civil unions or weddings.
However, the Vatican continues to view marriage as between a man and a woman.
Pope Francis approved a document issued by the Vatican announcing the change on Monday.
The Vatican said it should be a sign that “God welcomes all”, but the document says priests must decide on a case-by-case basis.
