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The
Vatican's doctrinal office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith (CDF), issued the ruling in response to questions and
moves in some parishes to impart such blessings as a sign of
welcome to gay Catholics since the Church does not permit
homosexual marriage.
Pope Francis approved the response, the CDF said, adding that it
was "not intended to be a form of unjust discrimination, but
rather a reminder of the truth of the liturgical rite".
It said such blessings were not permissible even though they
were "motivated by a sincere desire to welcome and accompany
homosexual persons" and help them grow in the faith.
The CDF note said that since marriage between a man and a woman
was a sacrament and blessings are related to the sacrament of
marriage, they could not be extended to same-sex couples.
"For this reason, it is not licit to impart a blessing on
relationships, or partnerships, even stable, that involve sexual
activity outside of marriage (i.e., outside the indissoluble
union of a man and a woman open in itself to the transmission of
life), as is the case of the unions between persons of the same
sex," it said.
(Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Toby Chopra and Raissa
Kasolowsky)
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