Pope Francis has suggested there might be ways to bless same-sex unions. The Vatican on Monday published a letter Francis wrote to five cardinals on July 11 after receiving a list of five questions, or “dubia,” from them a day earlier.
Pope Francis waves to the pilgrims flanked by children from the five continents during the Sunday Angelus prayer in St.Peter's Square at the Vatican on October 1, 2023. (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Imhas suggested there could be ways to bless same-sex unions, responding to five conservative cardinals who challenged him to affirm church teaching on homosexuality ahead of a big meeting where LGBTQ+ Catholics are on the agenda.
The Vatican holds that marriage is an indissoluble union between man and woman. As a result, it has long opposed gay marriage. But evenFrancis’ response to the cardinals, however, marks a reversal from the Vatican’s current official position. In an explanatory note in 2021, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said flat-out that the church couldn’t bless gay unions becauseIn his new letter, Francis reiterated that matrimony is a union between a man and a woman.
Francis added that there is no need for dioceses or bishops conferences to turn such pastoral charity into fixed norms or protocols, saying the issue could be dealt with on a case-by-case basis "because the life of the church runs on channels beyond norms.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Pope Francis Softens Vatican’s Ban on Gay BlessingsThe pontiff’s statement is likely to inflame tensions with conservative church leaders.
Read more »
Pope Francis Softens Vatican’s Ban on Blessing Gay CouplesThe pontiff’s statement is likely to inflame tensions with conservative church leaders.
Read more »
Pope Francis Suggests There Might Be Ways To Bless Same-Sex UnionsPope Francis responded to questions from five conservative cardinals in a way that marks a reversal from the Vatican's current official position.
Read more »
Women's voices and votes loom large as pope opens Vatican meeting on church's futurePope Francis this week will open a global gathering of Catholic bishops and laypeople discussing the future of the church
Read more »
Women's voices and votes loom large as pope opens Vatican meeting on church's futurePope Francis this week will open a global gathering of Catholic bishops and laypeople discussing the future of the church.
Read more »
Women's voices and votes loom large as pope opens Vatican meeting on church's futurePope Francis this week will open a global gathering of Catholic bishops and laypeople discussing the future of the church.
Read more »