Pope Francis formally approved letting Catholic priests bless same-sex couples, the Vatican announced Monday, a radical shift in policy that aimed at making the church more inclusive while maintaining its strict ban on gay marriage.

But while the Vatican statement was heralded by some as a step toward breaking down discrimination in the Catholic Church, some LGBTQ+ advocates warned it underscored the church’s idea that gay couples remain inferior to heterosexual partnerships.

The Vatican published a document Monday clarifying that priests within the Catholic Church can offer certain blessings to same-sex couples.

The declaration states that ordained priests can provide non-liturgical blessings to couples of the same sex or those in “irregular situations,” but explicitly states that the blessing should not be confused with blessings related to the Sacrament of Marriage; the blessing also does not constitute an endorsement of the same-sex union. The Vatican has been beset with questions on its stance on same-sex relationships for years...

Pope Francis's recent decision authorizing Catholic Church officials to bless same-sex marriages has spurred a wave of backlash online.

A Vatican document approved by Francis was circulated on Monday, establishing that Roman Catholic priests may now provide blessings to same-sex unions, a significant shift for the church, which has traditionally opposed such marriages. As recently as 2021, the Vatican's official stance on the matter was that the church could not "bless sin."