The Vatican issued a document on Monday clarifying that priests in the Catholic Church are permitted to bestow certain blessings on same-sex couples.
The declaration states that ordained priests can give non-liturgical blessings to couples of the same sex or in “irregular situations,” but it is clear that the blessing should not be confused with blessings related to the Sacrament of Marriage; it also does not constitute an endorsement of the same-sex union.
For years, the Vatican has faced questions about its stance on same-sex relationships.
“Within the horizon outlined here appears the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex, the form of which should not be fixed ritually by ecclesial authorities to avoid producing confusion with the blessing proper to the Sacrament of Marriage,” the document reads. “In such cases, a blessing may be imparted that not only has an ascending value but also involves the invocation of a blessing that descends from God upon those who—recognizing themselves to be destitute and in need of his help—do not claim a legitimation of their own status, but who beg that all that is true, good, and humanly valid in their lives and their relationships be enriched, healed, and elevated by the presence of the Holy Spirit.”
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“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 document reiterates the Catholic church’s position that marriage remains only between one man and one woman, and notes that any blessings given that “could create confusion between what constitutes marriage … are inadmissible.”
Additionally, the document warned priests against promoting blessing for “couples in an irregular situation,” but also states that the church should “not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing.”
Several conservative Catholic bishops wrote to Pope Francis in July and then again in August, asking that the Holy Father explain the church’s position on same-sex marriage and female ordination.
“God never turns away anyone who approaches him! Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God,” the document states. “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.”
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