The Catholic Church is not allowed to bless same-sex unions because God “does not and cannot bless sin” … according to the Vatican, in a decree approved by the Pope.
The Vatican’s orthodoxy office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued the official ruling Monday in response to a question about whether or not Catholic clergy can bless gay unions.
The answer is no, because the Vatican says Catholicism teaches that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman with the purpose of creating new life.
The decree seems pretty two-faced … considering the Vatican says gay people must be treated with dignity and respect, and the church can continue to bless gay people … as a whole.
On the flip side … the Vatican also describes gay sex as “intrinsically disordered.”
In recent years, Pope Francis has made headlines for his support of gay rights and even legal protections for same-sex couples — but the buck clearly stops at marriage.