In response to the Vatican’s announcement that Pope Francis had approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, leaders of the Catholic community in Massachusetts said the pontiff had brought clarity to the issue, but noted that he had not endorsed gay marriage.
A document released Monday by the Vatican stressed that the pope’s decision did not change the church’s stance that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman. It said that blessings for same-sex couples could not be tied to specific Catholic celebrations, nor could they be administered in coordination with a civil union ceremony, according to the Associated Press.
