Pope Francis once again defended his decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples on Friday, though he clarified that same-sex relationships are still considered irregular and potentially sinful by the Church.
Addressing members of the Vatican's doctrinal department, the pope said that blessings "do not require moral perfection to be received" and that giving them to same-sex couples would "concretely show the closeness of the Lord and the Church to all those who, finding themselves in different situations, ask for help to continue—sometimes to begin—a journey of faith."
It's the second time that Pope Francis defended his decision in public, having done so during an interview with an Italian television station on January 14. The Vatican's permission to give blessings to same-sex couples, announced on December 18, has caused backlash among more conservative bishops around the world who have said the move is heretical.
Newsweek reached out to the Vatican by email on Friday for comment.
Earlier this month, the Vatican intervened to defend the pope's decision, with the Holy See's office to safeguard doctrinal orthodoxy—the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith—declaring that blessing same-sex couples is not heresy.
Despite being firm about bishops having "no room" to distance themselves doctrinally from the decision, the office said it understood that blessing same-sex couples might be unfeasible, and even put individuals at risk, in countries where homosexuality is considered a crime.
The bishops of two such countries, Zambia and Malawi, have already declared there will be no blessings for same-sex couples in their countries. In Zambia, gay sex can be punished with a term between 15 years and life in prison, while in Malawi it is punishable with up to 14 years in prison.
But despite the openness shown by Pope Francis, considered one of the most liberal pontiffs of the Vatican's recent history, the Catholic Church still officially considers same-sex relationships and gay sex potentially sinful. Marriage between same-sex couples is still not allowed by the Church.
This was highlighted in Pope Francis' speech on Friday when he spoke about the blessings.
"When a couple comes forward spontaneously to ask for them, one does not bless the union, but simply the people who together have requested it. Not the union, but the persons," he said.
The Argentine pope also stressed that such blessings should not be given in a liturgical context but delivered discreetly. Nodding at the backlash in several African countries, Pope Francis said that priests should "naturally take into account the context, the sensitivities, the places where one lives and the most appropriate ways to do it."
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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek Reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. and European politics, global affairs ... Read more
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