Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples

Guwahati: In what may trigger a fresh debate, the Archdiocese of Shillong has allowed Catholic priests in Meghalaya to bless same-sex couples, but clarified that the blessing will be in "informal words" and won't signify approval of the union. This development has come close on the heels of days Pope Francis approval to historic change in Vatican policy.

The Shillong Archdiocese is the first diocese of the Northeast.

In a letter to the priests in Meghalaya, Archbishop Victor Lyngdoh wrote that the blessings to same-sex couples will be without any type of ritual of the Church that resembles a marriage rite.

The Archbishop wrote, “It will be a spontaneous prayer of a priest with informal words. He however clarified that the blessing should not be mistaken as the official liturgical and ritual blessings of the Church during marriage.

The Archbishop referred to 'Fiducia Supplicans', Pope Francis's declaration issued on December 18 which "stresses on the pastoral meaning of blessings".

"Pope Francis has urged us not to 'lose pastoral charity, which should permeate all our decisions and attitudes' and to avoid being 'judges who only deny, reject, and exclude'. Let us then respond to the Holy Father's proposal by developing a broader understanding of blessings," the 'Fiducia Supplicans' declaration stated.