SO WHAT DID THE POPE JUST DO? AN EXPLAINER ON CATHOLIC BLESSINGS
In place of our normal Wow, I thought I’d follow up on the Pope’s announcement with a sort of deeper dive into what it all means.
What did the Pope Francis just do for gay couples?
On Monday, Pope Francis announced that priests and deacons have the right to bless gay married couples.
This has never previously been allowed by the Vatican. That’s not to say priests might not have done it *wink wink*. But honestly, any time I’ve ever heard clergy talk about having done such a thing, which is not often, it’s always had the character of *looks both ways, make sure no one is listening.* Much like speaking publicly about women’s ordination, blessing a gay couple was the kind of thing that was generally understood could get you in a lot of trouble with a bishop.
So yeah, this is a major change in policy.
In the Catholic Church, what is a blessing?
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