Pope Francis has approved new rules to allow priests to bless same-sex couples, a significant advance for LGBT people in the Roman Catholic Church.
The changes have come to light in a new document which explains the decision, insisting that people seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subject to "an exhaustive moral analysis" to receive it.
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church said priests should be permitted to bless same-sex and "irregular" couples, under certain circumstances.
However, in the document that was published today, the Pope said that such blessings should not be part of regular Church rituals or related to civil unions or weddings.
Pope Francis gives blessing for same-sex couples in landmark ruling
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It also added that its definition of marriage was a lifelong sacrifice between a man and a woman.
The Vatican said the change should be a sign that "God welcomes all", however the decision of whether to allow the blessings would be operated on a case-by-case basis.
"Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God," the document said.
"The request for a blessing, thus, expresses and nurtures openness to the transcendence, mercy, and closeness to God in a thousand concrete circumstances of life, which is no small thing in the world in which we live."
The Pope said that such blessings should not be part of regular Church rituals or related to civil unions or weddings
ReutersIt added: "It is a seed of the Holy Spirit that must be nurtured, not hindered."
The document elaborates on a letter Francis sent to two conservative cardinals that was published in October.
In that preliminary response, the Pope suggested blessings could be offered if they did not confuse the ceremony with the act of marriage, which the new document reaffirmed.
People receiving a blessing "should not be required to have prior moral perfection", according to the declaration.
The Vatican said the change should be a sign that 'God welcomes all'
ReutersThe document reinforces the Vatican's stance on the matter, however takes a much softer tone.
In 2021, the Pope said priests could not bless same-sex marriages because God cannot "bless sin".
The clergy in some countries have previously allowed priests to bless same-sex couples, though the position of Church authorities remained unclear.
"The significance of this news cannot be overstated," said Francis DeBernardo of New Ways Ministry, which supports LGBTQ+ Catholics.
"It is one thing to formally approve same-gender blessings, which he had already pastorally permitted, but to say that people should not be subjected to 'an exhaustive moral analysis' to receive God’s love and mercy is an even more significant step."