In a major development for Catholic LGBTQ+ couples, Pope Francis has approved the blessing of same-sex unions. The new rule was included in a declaration issued Monday by the Vatican’s office of the Doctrine of the Faith and signed by Pope Francis. For the first time, it allows priests to bless same-sex couples. However, the declaration does not change the traditional doctrine of the church about marriage. According to Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the office of the Doctrine of the Faith, there is no liturgical rite that could be confused with the marriage sacrament. The Church still maintains that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. The document says the blessing should not be fixed ritually by ecclesial authorities to avoid any confusion with Marriage. Fernández says the decision to grant same-sex unions a blessing is based on the pastoral vision of Pope Francis and describes the change as a real development. The Rev. James Martin, a prominent American advocate for LGBTQ+ Catholics, hails the decision as a “marked shift.” Since becoming Pope, Francis has endeavored to make Catholicism more welcoming to LGBTQ+ people, despite Church doctrine that still describes homosexuality as a sin.
