Pope Francis Has Issued Permission to all Priests to Bless Same Sex Couples

Pope Francis, 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.

It added that it 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.

In the Catholic Church, a blessing is a prayer or plea, usually delivered by a minister, asking for God to look favorably on the person or people being blessed.

Cardinal Fernández stressed that the new position does not, in the Catholic Church’s view, recognize the status of same-sex couples.

Though not a shift in stance, the statement shows that the Catholic Church is becoming more accommodating. The Pope declared in 2021 that priests could not authorize same-sex unions because God was unable to “bless sin.”

In October, Pope Francis hinted that he might be willing to see same-sex couples blessed by the Church.

In some countries, bishops have permitted priests to bless same-sex couples in the past; however, the official attitude of church authorities has not been made clear.