AssetID: 53316347
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Pope Approves Blessings for Same-Sex Couples
Caption: Pope Approves Blessings for Same-Sex Couples. NBC reports that Pope Francis has formally allowed priests to bless same-sex couples, insisting that those who seek God should not be subject to, "an exhaustive moral analysis.' The pontiff released a new document explaining the radical shift in Vatican policy. In October, Francis wrote to two conservative cardinals suggesting that blessings for same-sex couples should not be confused with the sacrament of marriage. The new document reportedly elaborates on that rationale, reaffirming that marriage remains exclusively reserved for a man and a woman. The pope stressed that blessings for same-sex couples should not be given at the same time as a civil union, or use similar rituals, like clothing or gestures, associated with weddings. "Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God." "The request for a blessing, thus, expresses and nurtures openness to the transcendence, mercy, and closeness to God in a thousand concrete circumstances of life, which is no small thing in the world in which we live." "It is a seed of the Holy Spirit that must be nurtured, not hindered.", Pope Francis, Vatican document, via NBC. The latest doctrine orders the church to avoid , “doctrinal or disciplinary schemes, especially when they lead to a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism whereby instead of evangelizing, one analyzes and classifies others, and instead of opening the door to grace, one exhausts his or her energies in inspecting and verifying.”. "Thus, when people ask for a blessing, an exhaustive moral analysis should not be placed as a precondition for conferring it.", Pope Francis, Vatican document, via NBC. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Pope Francis,Pope,Blessings,Same-Sex,Couples,Vatican,Vatican Policy,Shift,God,Marriage,Sacrament,Confused,Pontiff,Gay,Lesbians,LGBTQ,Moral,Analysis,Civil Union
PersonInImage: