Gay Blessings Will Remain Under Pope Francis, Says Vatican Doctrine Chief
ATICAN CITY, July 7, 2025 — The Vatican’s top doctrinal official has reaffirmed that same-sex blessings, as permitted under Pope Francis’ recent guidance, will not be reversed — even under a future pontificate.
In an interview with Italian Catholic media, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, said the Church’s approval of “spontaneous, non-liturgical” blessings for same-sex couples is here to stay. The guidance, issued in the 2023 declaration Fiducia Supplicans, allows priests to bless couples in irregular unions, including same-sex ones, as long as the blessing doesn’t resemble a wedding or imply moral approval of their union.
“Not a Reversible Thing”
Fernández pushed back against critics who have suggested the policy might be walked back under a more conservative future pope. “It is not a reversible thing,” he insisted. “It’s not a whim of Pope Francis.”
He added that the practice has already been embraced across parts of the Global South, and said the declaration reflects a broader pastoral commitment to accompaniment — without changing doctrine on marriage.
Widespread Reaction
Fiducia Supplicans triggered both praise and backlash when it was released. While some bishops’ conferences welcomed the move as a gesture of compassion, others — especially in Africa and Eastern Europe — rejected it outright.
Fernández acknowledged the tensions but urged critics to reread the document with “peace in their hearts.”
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