Pope Francis has formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples but has reaffirmed that marriage is between a man and a woman.
A document from the Vatican’s doctrine office released Monday provides guidance and details about the declaration, which states, in part, “When people ask for a blessing, an exhaustive moral analysis should not be placed as a precondition for conferring it. For those seeking a blessing should not be required to have prior moral perfection.”
The new document reaffirms that marriage is a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman and that people seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subjected to an exhaustive moral analysis.
While Francis said that the blessings may not be part of regular Church ritual and must not be seen as marriages, this is a big alteration in Christianity.
The doctrine regarding marriage does not change, and the blessing does not signify approval or endorsement of the union.
The declaration reiterated that according to the “perennial Catholic doctrine” only sexual relations between a man and a woman in the context of marriage are considered lawful.