Pope Francis to allow priests to bless gay couples, but not perform marriages or civil unions

Pope Francis has approved a measure that will allow Roman Catholic priests to bless same-sex unions, under the condition that the blessing is not considered akin to marriage and while still labeling such relationships sinful. In a Declaration titled “Fiducia Supplicans” that was issued Monday, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith provided “a broadening and enrichment of the classical understanding of blessings, which is closely linked to a liturgical perspective.” “It is precisely in this context that one can understand the possibility of blessing couples in irregular...