The headlines around the world are as follows:

NYT: Pope Francis Allows Priests to Bless Same-Sex Couples

CNN: Pope Francis authorizes blessings for same-sex couples.

The cause of these headlines are a “statement,” Fiducia supplicans, issued by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (the pope’s doctrinal office), on the issue of blessings.

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."

Pope Francis has decided to punish one of his highest-ranking critics, Cardinal Raymond Burke, by revoking his right to a subsidized Vatican apartment and salary in the second such radical action against a conservative American prelate this month, according to two people briefed on the measures.

Pope Francis is evicting US Cardinal Raymond Burke, an outspoken critic, from his Vatican apartment and revoking his salary.

Cardinal Burke is part of a group of American conservatives who have long opposed the Pope's plans for reforming the Catholic Church.

A Vatican source told the BBC that Pope Francis has not yet carried out his intention to evict the 75-year-old.

And the decision is not meant as a personal punishment, the source added.

Pope Francis has stripped one of his top American critics, Cardinal Raymond Burke, of his Vatican housing and salary privileges, the Associated Press is reporting.

According to the AP report, which is based on conversations with two anonymous sources briefed on the measures, the pope discussed his planned actions against the American prelate at a Nov. 20 meeting of Vatican office heads.

The pope reportedly said that Burke was a source of “disunity” in the Church and that he was using the privileges afforded to retired cardinals against the Church.

Virginia state officials agreed to settle a lawsuit with a Christian wedding photographer after he refused to use his business to celebrate same-sex marriage, according to a press release.

The Biden campaign took aim at newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson this past week over his views on "same-sex relations" but ignored past comments from President Biden on the same subject during his time in public office.

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled in favor of a Christian graphic artist from Colorado who does not want to design wedding websites for same-sex couples, finding the First Amendment prohibits the state from forcing the designer to express messages that are contrary to her closely held religious beliefs.