There is a post on social media with a picture of Pope Francis in which he is said to have formally permitted Roman Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples.
This has caused a lot of consternation among many people, some of whom have contacted me personally for my view on the matter. One person said, “Your Lordship, my family is confused about the blessing of same-sex marriages by the priest in the church.”.
While the Pope is saying that same-sex couples can be blessed, he is not saying that same-sex unions can be blessed by Catholic priests! It is a malicious misrepresentation of the contents of a new document released in Rome today.
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican today, December 18, 2023, issued a Declaration, with the Pope’s approval, called “Fiducia supplicans” (“On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings”). This Dicastery is the department in the Vatican that deals with doctrinal matters. The Declaration begins by saying that “this Declaration remains firm on the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage, not allowing any type of liturgical rite or blessing similar to a liturgical rite that can create confusion.”.
