Pope Francis authorises Catholic priests to bless LGBTQ couples

Pope Francis has authorized priests to bless same-gender couples, which is now regarded as a significant step forward for the LGBTQ community who worship in the Roman Catholic Church.

Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, stated that priests should be allowed to bless same-sex and irregular couples under certain conditions.

According to CNN, the Vatican has stated that blessings should not be included in regular Church rituals or be associated with civil unions or weddings.

It also stated that it still considers marriage to be between a man and a woman.

On Monday, Pope Francis approved a Vatican document announcing the change.

The Vatican said it should be a sign that “God welcomes all”, but the document says priests must decide on a case-by-case basis.

He added that during the ritual, the couples should not show up in a dress that suggests a wedding set-up, and language that would suggest the same should not be used.

“When the prayer of blessing is requested by a couple in an irregular situation, even though it is expressed outside the rites prescribed by the liturgical books, this blessing should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them. Nor can it be performed with any clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding. The same applies when the blessing is requested by a same-sex couple.

Pastoral prudence and wisdom—avoiding all serious forms of scandal and confusion among the faithful—may suggest that the ordained minister join in the prayer of those persons who, although in a union that cannot be compared in any way to a marriage, desire to entrust themselves to the Lord and his mercy, to invoke his help, and to be guided to a greater understanding of his plan of love and of truth,” document reads in part. Introducing the text, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Church, said that the new declaration remained “firm on the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage”