Pope Approves Blessings for Same-sex Couples

Pope Francis officially approved letting Catholic clergy bless same-sex couples, the Vatican announced Monday.

The move is a complete change in church policy that aims to make the church more welcoming while continuing its ban on gay marriage.

Some have cheered the Vatican statement as a step to break down discrimination in the Catholic Church. But LGBTQ+ supporters say the policy means that the church still considers gay couples as less than heterosexual partners.

The Vatican document expands on a letter that Francis sent to two conservative cardinals last October. In that letter, Francis suggested such blessings could be offered if they were not seen or mistaken as marriage ceremonies.

The new document repeats that condition and reaffirms that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman. It stresses that the blessings must not be tied to any Catholic celebration or religious service and should not be performed at the same time as a marriage ceremony. Also, the blessings cannot use ceremonial acts, clothing or movements that belong in a wedding.

But it says requests for such blessings for same-sex couples should not be denied. "For, those seeking a blessing should not be required to have prior moral perfection," it said.

The document added, "There is no intention to legitimize anything, but rather to open one's life to God, to ask for his help to live better..."

The Vatican holds that marriage is a union between man and woman. As a result, it has long opposed same-sex marriage and considers homosexual acts to be "disordered." Nothing in the new document changes that teaching.

In the new document, the church says a blessing is about helping people increase their trust in God. "It is a seed of the Holy Spirit that must be nurtured, not hindered," it said.

It stresses that people in "irregular" unions of extramarital sex — gay or straight — are in a state of sin. But that should not keep them from God's love or mercy. "Even when a person's relationship with God is clouded by sin, he can always ask for a blessing, stretching out his hand to God," the document said.

The document is the latest attempt by the Pope to welcome gay Catholics. In 2013, he said, "Who am I to judge?" when asked about a gay clergy. Earlier this year, he told The Associated Press that "being homosexual is not a crime."

Reactions to the announcement

Ramón Gómez oversees human rights for the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation in Chile. He said the statement was a step toward breaking down discrimination in the church and could help LGBTQ+ people in countries where even civil unions are not legal. But he said the document "gives the signal that same-sex couples are inferior to heterosexual couples."

The Reverand James Martin supports welcoming LGBTQ+ Catholics. He praised the new document as a "huge step forward" and a change from the Vatican's 2021 policy.

"Along with many Catholic priests, I will now be delighted to bless my friends in same-sex marriages," he said in an email.

In Germany, clergy have been blessing same-sex couples for years. And the head of the German Bishops Conference welcomed the document.

Bishop Georg Baetzing said, "This means that a blessing can be given to couples who do not have the opportunity to marry in church, for example due to divorce, and to same-sex couples."

In the United States, the Reverand John Oesterle, a Catholic priest in Pittsburgh, said many priests would probably not be open to offering such a blessing, but he welcomed Francis' action.

He said, "When I was growing up, the assumption was that God made everyone straight. What we have learned is that is not true. In accepting people as God made them, and if Jesus' primary teaching is we should love and serve one another in the community, I think that's what gives Pope Francis the openness to God's presence in those relationships."

Traditionalists, however, expressed shock and anger. Luigi Casalini of Messa in Latino (Latin Mass) blog wrote that the document did not follow the church's teachings. "The church is crumbling," he wrote.

University of Notre Dame theologian Ulrich Lehner was also concerned. Lehner called it: "The most unfortunate public announcement in decades." He said it could lead to division in the church.

I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.

Nicole Winfield and David Crary reported this story for the Associated Press. Hai Do adapted this story for VOA Learning English.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on 51VOA.COM.

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bless –v. to ask God to care for and protect someone

couple –n. two people who are married or have an intimate relationship

gay (homosexual) –adj. sexually interested in the same sex

prior –adj. taking place earlier

intention –n. a plan or aim

legitimize –v. to make acceptable and normal

mercy –n. kind treatment where it is not expected or deserved

inferior –adj. not as good as something else

assumption –n. an opinion that is not based on direct knowledge but is thought to be the case