Pope Leo says he will maintain blessings for same-sex couples, but rules out formalization

Pope Leo rules out formalizing unions for same-sex couples Pope Leo XIV indicated this Thursday (23) that he does not intend to go beyond the measures adopted by Francis on blessings for same-sex couples. According to him, new steps could cause disunity in the Catholic Church. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp In an interview with journalists while returning to Rome, the pontiff praised the historic decision of 2023, but stated that the Vatican does not intend to expand this type of blessing. “To go beyond that today, I think the issue could cause more disunity than unity,” he said. Francis, who died in 2025 after 12 years at the head of the Church, authorized priests to give informal blessings to same-sex couples, outside of rituals and on an individual basis. The measure generated debate within the Church. Bishops in some countries, especially in Africa, have refused to allow the guidance to be implemented. When asked about German Cardinal Reinhard Marx’s plan to formalize blessings in his own diocese, Leão did not mention the religious man directly, but recalled that the Vatican has already instructed the German episcopal conference not to create rituals for this type of practice. “The Holy See has made it clear that we do not agree with the formalized blessing of couples,” he said. The pope also said that the unity of the Church, which brings together around 1.4 billion believers, should not focus only on issues of sexual ethics. “We tend to think that when the Church is talking about morality, that the only issue of morality is sexual,” he said. “In reality, I believe there are much bigger and more important issues, such as justice, equality and freedom for men and women.” The Catholic Church teaches that sexual relations outside of marriage between a man and a woman are considered a sin and advises that people with same-sex attraction live in chastity. Pope Leo

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