POPE FRANCIS HAS formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples.

A new document explains a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting people seeking God’s love and mercy should not be subject to “an exhaustive moral analysis” to receive it.

The document from the Vatican’s doctrine office, released today, elaborates on a letter Francis sent to five conservative cardinals that was published in October.

That letter was in response to a list of five questions, or “dubia”, from these conservative cardinals which accused Pope Francis of “error” in his stance on same-sex issues.

In that preliminary response – published in the eve of a historic Synod – Francis suggested such blessings could be offered under some circumstances if they did not confuse the ritual with the sacrament of marriage.

Pope Francis added that “pastoral charity” requires patience and understanding and that priests cannot become judges “who only deny, reject and exclude”.

The new document released today repeats that rationale and elaborates on it, reaffirming that marriage is a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman.

And it stresses that blessings should not be conferred at the same time as a civil union or even with the clothing and gestures that belong in a wedding.

But it says requests for such blessings should not be denied full stop.

It offers an extensive definition of the term “blessing” in Scripture to insist that people seeking a transcendent relationship with God and looking for his love and mercy should not be subject to “an exhaustive moral analysis” as a precondition for receiving it.

“Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God,” the document said.

“The request for a blessing, thus, expresses and nurtures openness to the transcendence, mercy, and closeness to God in a thousand concrete circumstances of life, which is no small thing in the world in which we live.”

He added: “It is a seed of the Holy Spirit that must be nurtured, not hindered.”

In addition to today’s move, the Vatican’s doctrine office last month confirmed that transgender people be baptised in the Catholic Church.

‘Who am I to judge?’

The conservative wing of the Catholic Church has long been at odds with Pope Francis because of his inclusive stance towards the LGBTQ+ community, claiming that he risks creating confusion and division in the Church.

He first incurred their wrath when, early into his papacy, he said: “If a person is gay and seeks out the Lord and is willing, who am I to judge that person?”

This was in response to an Italian journalist asked Pope Francis what he would say to a gay person who was seeking the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Later, Pope Francis called for the Church apologise for the harm it has caused to the LGBTQ+ community, saying: “We Christians have to apologise for so many things, not just for this [treatment of gay people], but we must ask for forgiveness, not just apologise.”

And during his visit to Ireland in August 2018, the Pope was asked what advice he would give to the parent of a gay child.

“Don’t condemn; dialogue, understand, make space for them, let them express themselves,” he said.

“Silence is never a remedy. To ignore a son or daughter who is homosexual is a lack of paternity and maternity.”

Pope Francis also welcomed a group of transgender women to a lunch at the Vatican last month to mark the Catholic Church’s World Day of the Poor.

-With additional reporting from Diarmuid Pepper