Catholic clergy can now bless same-sex couples after Pope Francis’ Dec. 18 reversal of a 2021 Vatican policy that banned the practice. The Catholic Church still contends that marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman and will not grant the sacrament to gay couples. 

In other words, DePaul Catholic studies professor William Cavanaugh said the Vatican now permits a blessing of the gay couple, not a blessing or approval of gay marriage.

“It’s typical of Pope Francis because, without overturning long standing doctrines, he’s tried to emphasize that God meets us wherever we are,” Cavanaugh said. 

Blessings are not sacraments and can be performed by any baptized Christian, according to Fr. Christopher Robinson, a Vincentian priest and DePaul religious studies instructor. 

“A blessing, in short, is a hope of peace, well-being, and an acknowledgement of holiness or goodness upon the person receiving the blessing,” Robinson said. 

In addition to gay couples, Robinson explained the Pope is extending the availability of clerical blessings to all “irregular unions.” This means that divorced and remarried Catholics who did not receive an annulment for their previous marriages can still have their union blessed in the Church. 

“What Pope Francis was doing was welcoming back lots of people who felt disconnected from Catholicism,” Robinson said. 

Robinson said the Catholic Church, at its core, is a humanist organization meant to celebrate the beauty and sacredness of human life. 

“I think Francis being of the Jesuit tradition understands that humanism means things like sexuality are very gray issues, not black and white,” Robinson said. 

Some Catholics do not believe allowing blessings goes far enough to accept homosexuals fully. On the other hand, some traditionalist Catholics remain opposed to any recognition of same-sex relations. 

Robinson pointed out that in some countries with large Catholic populations, such as Uganda and Nigeria, homosexuality remains illegal.

“Culture doesn’t always keep up with faith either,” Robinson said.  

DePaul sophomore Michael Stage, a member of DePaul’s Catholic Campus Ministry, is among those who believe allowing blessings is a step in the right direction. 

“We think of the Catholic Church as being something that’s very old and set in its ways, but this is a good reminder that things can change and change for the better,” Stage said.

As a young Catholic, Stage wants to contribute to the change he said must occur to make the Church a more inclusive space. 

Though the Catholic Church remains opposed to granting the sacrament of marriage to people in “irregular unions,” Robinson said it is not his place to judge.

“There’s no sin detector that goes off at the church door,” Robinson said. 

Instead, he said focusing on our shared humanity and promoting social justice are far more productive. 

“I think God cares a lot more about that right now than the other issues,” Robinson said. 

Since his pontificate began in 2013, Pope Francis has sought to create a more inclusive Church. 

He has called for the inclusion of transgender individuals in church practices and clarified in 2023 that transgender Catholics can be baptized and serve as godparents. 

Francis is also an avid supporter of environmental justice, publishing a 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si” on the importance of care for the Earth. Recently, Francis ruffled some feathers by criticizing climate change deniers. 

Still, Francis remains opposed to gay marriage, surrogacy and abortion in line with Catholic teaching. However, Cavanaugh said Francis aims to maintain a pastoral approach to social justice instead of a rigid enforcement of Church doctrine, contrary to the papacy of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.  

“Pope Benedict was always worried about clarity,” Cavanaugh said. “He was afraid people would misunderstand things and that there was too much relativism in the world and the church needed to be clear about what it stands for. Pope Francis is less concerned about clarity and more interested in charity.”

Cavanaugh said Francis approaches controversial issues by first ensuring everyone feels loved.

Traditionalist Catholics have clashed with Pope Francis throughout his pontificate over both theological and political ideology, according to America Magazine, The Jesuit Review, a Catholic news organization. 

Robinson said when people feel threatened, they cling to antiquated ideologies. 

“Most of the people who are pushing back against Pope Francis are either the white affluent traditionalists, or they’re people from impoverished countries whose populations don’t have access to education or health care, and therefore can’t push a political agenda, because they’re just trying to survive,” Robinson said. 

When engaging non-traditionalist Catholics who want a more justice-oriented worship experience Robinson said, “There is no monolithic Catholic Church,” meaning that the church can match the diversity the newest generation of Catholics craves. 

“The only purpose of Mass is to send people into the world who have been fed by word ideas by social teaching, and then spend the rest of the week doing good for the human family,” Robinson said. 

As for Stage, the DePaul sophomore, he feels hopeful about the trajectory of a church led by Pope Francis but knows that more change is needed to satisfy the need for an increasingly inclusive Church. 

“This isn’t the end of this conversation,” Stage said. “I think the biggest win will be when same sex couples can enjoy the sacrament of marriage.”