Catholic Priests Now Allowed To Bless Same-S3x Couples

Pope Francis has formally approved Catholic priests blessing same-sex couples, but he has reiterated that marriage is between a man and a woman.

A document released Monday by the Vatican’s theology office provides guidance and specifics on the proclamation, which states in part, “When people ask for a blessing, an exhaustive moral analysis should not be placed as a precondition for conferring it.” Those seeking a blessing should not be forced to be morally faultless beforehand.”

The statement, issued today by the Vatican’s theology office, expands on a letter Francis delivered to two conservative cardinals, which was published in October.

Marriage is a lifetime sacrament between a man and a woman, according to the new document.

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It further emphasises that blessings should not be bestowed concurrently with a civil union or even with the attire and gestures associated with a wedding.

However, it states that such petitions should not be dismissed outright.

It provides a detailed definition of the term ‘blessed’ in Scripture to argue that those wanting a transcendent relationship with God and seeking his compassion and mercy need not be subjected to ‘an exhaustive moral investigation’ as a precondition for obtaining it.

“Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God,” the document said.

“The request for a blessing, thus, expresses and nurtures openness to the transcendence, mercy, and closeness to God in a thousand concrete circumstances of life, which is no small thing in the world in which we live.”

He added: “It is a seed of the Holy Spirit that must be nurtured, not hindered.”

Marriage, according to the Vatican, is an irreversible union of man and woman. As a result, it has long been against same-sex marriage.

In August, Pope Francis informed the hundreds of thousands of people gathering in Lisbon, Portugal, for World Youth Day that the Catholic Church is for “todos, todos, todos” – everyone, everyone, everyone.