The Vatican on Monday said that it would not bless same-sex unions, stating that it “cannot bless sin.”
The Associated Press reported that the statement came from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which issued a formal response to a question about whether Catholic clergy can bless gay unions.
This comes after Pope Francis had said there should be government recognition of same-sex unions in 2019.
The Vatican, according to the AP, says that LGBTQ people must be treated with dignity and respect, but that gay sex is “intrinsically disordered.”
“The presence in such relationships of positive elements, which are in themselves to be valued and appreciated, cannot justify these relationships and render them legitimate objects of an ecclesial blessing, since the positive elements exist within the context of a union not ordered to the Creator’s plan,” the response said.
God “does not and cannot bless sin: He blesses sinful man, so that he may recognize that he is part of his plan of love and allow himself to be changed by him,” it said in the statement.