HOUSTON – Pope Francis formally approved for priests to bless same-sex couples.
Francis says the blessings may be given under some circumstances, but it is not the sacrament of marriage.
Reporter Re’Chelle Turner spoke to GLAAD, a non-profit LGBTQ advocacy organization, and leaders called today’s announcement a huge win.
“It is a win for the community first because it is recognition from the largest religious denomination in the world,” GLAAD Vice President Ross Murray said.
“I think this is a simple action. It is allowing clergy to bless couples the same way that we bless homes, cars, pets and every aspect of life and it also sends a message of LGBTQ can and are a blessing. We will hear young people perhaps being more accepted by their families. We might see bullying and harassment decrease. We might see laws that persecute LGBTQ people not have that religious backing because we are seeing this step,” Murray said.
The declaration states that blessings must not be carried out during a civil union and cannot be conducted while doing rituals that resemble a wedding or include clothing or gestures that are typical in a wedding ceremony.
“I have no problems with that because I don’t think anything really has changed, except we want to be merciful, always merciful,” Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston said.
Turner spoke one-on-one with Archbishop Daniel Cardinal DiNardo about the declaration.
“God wants to bless everyone. There is a thing called sacramental blessings for marriage. They remain what they are. people who are not in valid unions you can’t bless the union but human beings reach out to God. They sometimes cry out to God, so for a priest to say a blessing for someone, that’s fine,” DiNardo said.
Murray said it’s been a long time coming and calls the ruling a win for the LGBTQ community.
“We just keep seeing action after action that talks about the fact that the church needs to be not just a welcoming and exclusive place but also make sure there are places of safety for LGBTQ people around the globe. Last January, he spoke out against countries that criminalized LGBTQ people calling (it) unjust. Calling on his church to help oppose and change those,” Murray said.
The Vatican’s policies have changed and now give gay couples legal recognition for their relationships.
“It’s really the removing of a barrier and it’s going to really make a huge difference in the lives of people who really so heed and follow Pope Francis,” Murray said.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released a statement:
“In response to the Declaration “Fiducia supplicans” issued by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith today, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) offered the following statement from its spokesperson, Chieko Noguchi, executive director of public affairs: ‘The Declaration issued today by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) articulated a distinction between liturgical (sacramental) blessings, and pastoral blessings, which may be given to persons who desire God’s loving grace in their lives. The Church’s teaching on marriage has not changed, and this declaration affirms that, while also making an effort to accompany people through the imparting of pastoral blessings because each of us needs God’s healing love and mercy in our lives.’”