Pope Leo says blessing same-sex weddings is 'not what the Church teaches'

"In Northern Europe they are already publishing rituals of blessing 'people who love one another,' is the way they express it, which goes specifically against the document that Pope Francis approved, Fiducia Supplicans, which basically says, of course we can bless all people, but it doesn't look for a way of ritualizing some kind of blessing because that's not what the Church teaches,"

"I've already spoken about marriage, as did Pope Francis when he was pope, about a family being a man and a woman in solemn commitment, blessed in the sacrament of marriage,"

"That doesn't mean those people are bad people, but I think it's very important, again, to understand how to accept others who are different than we are, how to accept people who make choices in their life and to respect them,"

Pope Leo endorses continuing the policy that allows priests to bless same-sex couples provided the blessings do not take on wedding-like rituals. He reaffirmed the Church's teaching that marriage is a solemn sacrament between a man and a woman. He criticized published rituals in parts of Northern Europe that frame blessings as ceremonies for 'people who love one another,' saying such ritualization conflicts with Fiducia Supplicans. Fiducia Supplicans permits blessings for all people but warns against creating ritual forms that resemble marriage. He emphasized accepting and respecting people who make different life choices while maintaining existing Church doctrine.

Read at Advocate.com