VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis defended Friday the Catholic Church's recent approval of blessings for same-sex couples while attempting to soothe his conservative critics. In December, the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, its department for Roman Catholic doctrine, said priests could bless "irregular" and same-sex couples under certain circumstances. IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER Pope Francis delivers his blessing during his weekly general audience in the Paul 6th Audience Hall in the Vatican on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. "These blessings ... do not require moral perfection in order to be received," the pope said during an audience with members of the dicastery. ""What Cardinal Fernandez considers as the unique value of this document is that 'it offers a specific and innovative contribution to the pastoral meaning of blessings, permitting a broadening and enrichment of the classical understanding of blessings,'" said David.
