The leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has officially submitted formal documentation allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, as long as the ritual wasn’t conducive to marriage.
A document from the Vatican’s doctrine office, released Monday, elaborated on a letter Francis sent to conservative cardinals that was published in October.
According to the Associated Press, the new document repeats that condition and elaborates on it, reaffirming that marriage is a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman. And it stresses that blessings in question must be non-liturgical in nature and should not be conferred at the same time as a civil union, using set rituals or even with the clothing and gestures that belong in a wedding.
The look on this is divided, with conservatives against the move. However, those fighting for the rights of LGBTQ+ folks are stating that this is a step in the right direction.
