Pope Francis has given permission to priests to bless same-sex couples.
However the Pope said priests should be permitted to bless same-sex and “irregular” couples, under certain circumstances.
This is as the Vatican said blessings should not be part of regular Church rituals or related to civil unions or weddings, BBC reports.
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.
According to Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Church, the new declaration remained “firm on the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage”.
But he added that in keeping with the Pope’s “pastoral vision” of “broadening” the appeal of the Catholic Church, the new guidelines would allow priests to bless relationships still considered sinful.
People receiving a blessing “should not be required to have prior moral perfection”, according to the declaration.
In the Catholic doctrine, 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.
Cardinal Fernández stated that the new position of the Vatican does not validate the status of same-sex couples in the eyes of the Catholic Church.
The declaration from the pop signifies a shift in Catholic Church, although not a change in position. In 2021, the Pope said priests could not bless same-sex marriages because God cannot “bless sin”.
Pope Francis had suggested in October that he was open to having the Church bless same-sex couples.
BBC reports that bishops in certain countries have previously allowed priests to bless same-sex couples, though the position of Church authorities remained unclear.
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