Vatican On Catholic Church’s Stance On Same-Sex Union: God ‘Cannot Bless Sin'

Vatican on same-sex union: In a decree issued on March 15 the Vatican stated that the Catholic Church cannot sanction a same-sex union as God ‘cannot bless sin’.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican’s orthodoxy office issued the decree as a formal response to the question of whether a Catholic clergy can bless a same-sex union. The two-page explanation that was published in seven languages and approved by Pope Francis stated that the answer was a ‘negative’.

The decree distinguished between the Catholic Church’s blessing of queer people, which it upheld, but not same-sex unions. The Vatican holds that queer people must be treated with respect and dignity. But Catholic teaching holds that marriage between a man and woman is part of God’s plan and is intended for the sake of procreation. The decree said that since same-sex unions are not intended to be a part of that plan, they cannot be blessed by the church.

God “does not and cannot bless sin: He blesses sinful man, so that he may recognize that he is part of his plan of love and allow himself to be changed by him,” it said.

Pope Francis has endorsed providing same-sex couples with legal protections in unions, but his endorsement is in reference to the civil sphere and not within the church. His endorsement was made during an interview in 2019 but was cut by the Vatican until his comments appeared in a documentary last year.