Pope Francis is now suggesting that the Catholic Church could bless same-sex couples.
“We cannot be judges who only deny, reject and exclude”, he expressed when asked by Cardinals to clarify the situation.
He expressed that any appeal for a blessing should be treated with “pastoral charity”.
Nonetheless, the pope added that the church still cannot fully recognise same-sex marriage.
In fact, bishops in countries such as Belgium and Germany had already started engaging in such a practice but what the official position of the church was, was still unclear.
“Kindness, patience, understanding, tenderness and encouragement”, he continued.
The request was one of the many sent to the Pope ahead of a global gathering, discussing the future of the Church.