Pope Francis has suggested he would be open to having the Catholic Church bless same-sex couples.
As stated in the BBC, a group of cardinals asked him for clarity on the issue; “We cannot be judges who only deny, reject, and exclude,” the Pope replied.
However, he stressed that the Church still considered same-sex relationships “objectively sinful” and, therefore, would not recognise same-sex marriage, according to the BBC.
It is noteworthy that Bishops in a number of countries, including Belgium and Germany, have begun to allow priests to bless same-sex couples, but the position of Church authorities remained unclear.
In 2021, following a similar request for clarification, the Vatican’s doctrinal office ruled against allowing the practice.
According to the BBC, responding to the latest request, the Pope stressed that the Church understood marriage to be an “exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman” and should avoid “any type of rite or sacramental that might contradict this conviction”. But he pointed out that “when a blessing is requested, it is expressing a plea to God for help, a supplication to live better”.
