Pope approves blessings for same-sex couples if the rituals don't resemble marriage

The cape of Pope Francis is blown by the wind as he attends an eucumenical and interreligious meeting with youth in the Pastoral Centre in Skopje on May 7, 2019. [Andreas Solaro, AFP]

Pope Francis has formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, with a new document explaining a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking God's love and mercy shouldn't be subject to "an exhaustive moral analysis" to receive it.

The document from the Vatican's doctrine office, released Monday, elaborates on a letter Francis sent to two conservative cardinals that was published in October. In that preliminary response, Francis suggested such blessings could be offered under some circumstances if they didn't confuse the ritual with the sacrament of marriage.