Pope Francis Approves Blessings of Same-Sex Couples

VATICAN CITY — (12-18-23) — In a landmark ruling approved by Pope Francis and the Vatican, Roman Catholic priests can administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not part of regular Church liturgies and rituals.

A document from the Vatican’s doctrinal office says that such blessings would not legitimise irregular situations but be a sign that God welcomes all its children. The conservative members of the Vatican were quick to say that in no way should this announcement be confused with the sacrament of heterosexual marriage.

The Vatican ruling states that priests should decide on a case-by-case basis and “should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing”.

Father James Martin, a prominent American Jesuit priest who administers to the LGBT community, called the ruling “a major step forward in the church’s ministry” to them.

In a post on X, Father James Martin said the document “recognizes the deep desire in many Catholic same-sex couples for God’s presence in their loving relationships,” adding that “along with many priests, I will now be delighted to bless my friends in same-sex unions”.

The document, whose Latin title is Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust), said the form of the blessing “should not be fixed ritually by ecclesial authorities to avoid producing confusion with the blessing proper to the Sacrament of Marriage”.

It said it can be applied to those who “do not claim a legitimation of their own status, but who beg that all that is true, good, and humanly valid in their lives and their relationships be enriched, healed, and elevated by the presence of the Holy Spirit”.

“Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God,” it said, adding that it “must be nurtured, not hindered”.

Plus the ruling states that the blessing should not be linked with or timed to a civil marriage ceremony and be performed with none of the “clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding”.