Blessings Are Not To Be Part of a Civil Union
The blessing cannot be performed at the same time or in connection with a civil union, the document states. Instead, the document suggests that the blessing be conducted “in other contexts, such as a visit to a shrine, a meeting with a priest, a prayer recited in a group, or during a pilgrimage.”
Keep It Simple
To ensure that the blessing does not take on the appearance of a sacrament, the blessings must not become a spectacle, the document cautions, “nor can it be performed with any clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding.”
Priest May Not Recruit Couples for a Blessing
While some priests might be yearning to impart this blessing on gay couples in their parish, the document states that the couples themselves must ask for it. “For this reason, one should neither provide for nor promote a ritual for the blessings of couples in an irregular situation,” the document states.
“At the same time, one should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing,” it added.
This article originally appeared on ReligionNews.com.
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