Catholic church accepts gay marriage

Stances of Faiths on Queer Issues: Roman Catholic Church

BACKGROUND

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination in the world, with approximately billion members across the globe. With its origins in the earliest days of Christianity, the Church traces its leadership––in the person of the Pope––to St. Peter, identified by Jesus as “the rock” on which the Church would be built.

The Catholic Church in the United States numbers over 70 million members, and is organized in 33 Provinces, each led by an archbishop. Each bishop answers directly to the Pope, not to an archbishop. Those Provinces are further divided into dioceses, each led by a bishop. At the found of the organizational structure are local parishes, headed by a pastor, appointed by the local bishop. The Conference of Catholic Bishops in the United States meets semi-annually.

As part of a global organization with its institutional center at the Vatican, the Catholic Church in America is shaped by worldwide societal and cultural trends. It is further shaped by leadership that is entirely male, with w

Vatican approves blessings for same-sex couples in landmark ruling for LGBTQ Catholics

Roman Catholic priests will be able to protect same-sex couples, as long as the blessings are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies, under a landmark ruling approved by Pope Francis.

Key points:

The Catholic Church teaches that gay attraction is not sinful but queer acts are
The church previously barred queer couples from receiving blessings in a ruling, saying God 'cannot bless sin'
The Vatican now says priests should decide whether to bless gay couples on a case-by-case basis

A document from the Vatican's doctrinal office, which effectively reversed a declaration the equal body had issued in , said such blessings would not legitimise "irregular situations" but be a sign that God welcomes all.

Blessings should in no way be muddled with the sacrament of heterosexual marriage, the document said.

It said priests should decide on a case-by-case basis and "should not block or prohibit the church's closeness to people in every

Pope says Roman Catholic priests can bless same-sex couples

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Pope Francis has allowed priests to bless lgbtq+ couples, a significant advance for LGBT people in the Roman Catholic Church.

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church said priests should be permitted to bless same-sex and "irregular" couples, under certain circumstances.

But the Vatican said blessings should not be part of regular Church rituals or related to civil unions or weddings.

It added that it continues to view marriage as between a man and a woman.

Pope Francis approved a document issued by the Vatican announcing the alter on Monday. The Vatican said it should be a sign that "God welcomes all", but the document says priests must decide on a case-by-case basis.

Introducing the text, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Church, said that the fresh declaration remained "firm on the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage".

But he added that in keeping with the Pope's "pastoral vision" of "broadening&

Pope Francis allows blessings for same-sex couples under certain conditions

The Vatican has approved a landmark ruling to allow Roman Catholic priests to administer blessings to same-sex couples as elongated as they are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies, nor given in contexts associated to civil unions or weddings.

A document from the Vatican’s doctrinal office approved by Pope Francis on Monday said such blessings would not legitimise irregular situations but be a sign that God welcomes all.

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The document backed “the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex” but “this blessing should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not ev