A Dec. 18 declaration issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by Pope Francis on blessings of couples living outside the bond of a Church-recognized marriage reminds the faithful of God’s love for all people, and the fact everyone needs his mercy and “would benefit from his blessing as we strive to live out his call more perfectly,” Archbishop Bernard Hebda said in a statement.
Posted on the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ website Dec. 18, the archbishop’s statement notes that under the declaration, “an ordained minister may privately impart informal, non-liturgical blessings” on couples who are living together outside the bonds of marriage, whether they be heterosexual or homosexual, “even when their state in life might prevent them from participating in the sacraments.”
The blessings do not imply the Church is officially validating the status of the couple, and effort must be taken to make sure the blessings are not confused with the sacrament of marriage, the archbishop said.
“Nevertheless, the hope is that these blessings can assist those who request them to ‘open their lives to God, to ask for his help to live better, and also to invoke the Holy Spirit so that the values of the Gospel may be lived with greater faithfulness,’” the archbishop said.
Archbishop Hebda’s full statement can be found on the archdiocese’s website.
