The Vatican has approved blessings for same-sex couples but this can only come with two conditions.
In a document signed by Pope Francis on Monday, December 18, the Vatican agreed that Roman Catholic priests can administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not part of regular Church rituals nor given in contexts related to civil unions or weddings.
As such, priests can bless the union of same sex couples but cannot join them in holy matrimony.
The document said: “Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God.
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.”
It added: “It is a seed of the Holy Spirit that must be nurtured, not hindered.”
The document also confirms the Church's stand on marriage - it has to be between a man and a woman, for the purpose of having children.
In clarifying how the blessings by priests would work, the document said: “This blessing should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them.”
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