Pope Francis Approves Blessings For Same-Sex Couples

• Catholic church priests have been allowed to bless same-sex and "irregular" couples, under certain circumstances.
• Pope Francis gave the approval after announcing the change of guidelines on Monday, December 18
• The church clarified that blessings should not be part of regular Church rituals or related to civil unions or weddings.

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering metro and government policy

Vatican City, Italy - The leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis has permitted priests to bless same-sex and "irregular" couples, under certain circumstances.

According to BBC News, this was disclosed after Pope Francis approved a document issued by the Vatican announcing the change on Monday, December 18. The document says priests must decide on a case-by-case basis.

The Vatican said it should be a sign that "God welcomes all". However, the Vatican said blessings should not be part of regular Church rituals or related to civil unions or weddings.

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The church added that it continues to view marriage as between a man and a woman.

The prefect of the Church, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, said the new guidelines would allow priests to bless relationships still considered sinful.

According to the declaration, people receiving a blessing "should not be required to have prior moral perfection."

Cardinal Fernández noted that the new stance does not validate the status of same-sex couples in the eyes of the Catholic Church.

Tokyo recognises same-sex relationships

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Tokyo began issuing partnership certificates to same-sex couples who live and work in the capital on Tuesday, a long-awaited move in a country without marriage equality.

The certificates allow LGBTQ partners to be treated as married couples for a range of public services in areas such as housing, medicine and welfare.

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More than 200 smaller local authorities in Japan have already made moves to recognise same-sex partnerships since Tokyo's Shibuya district pioneered the system in 2015.

Cuba votes to legalize same-sex marriage

Cubans voted to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption as well as surrogate pregnancies in a referendum over the weekend, the communist country's electoral officials said.

Preliminary results indicate an "irreversible trend," with almost 67 per cent of votes counted so far in favour of the government-backed change, electoral council president Alina Balseiro said on state television.

Source: Legit.ng