Pope Francis firmly closes the door on same-sex marriage within the Catholic Church

Once again, Pope Francis has dashed any hope of the Catholic Church blessing same-sex marriages. 

When asked last week whether he supported legislation that protected marriage equality, he responded “I have spoken clearly about this, no? ... Marriage is a sacrament. The church doesn’t have the power to change sacraments. It’s as our Lord established.” (via The Advocate, AP-Reuters)

Francis went on to say that it’s up to individual nations to create civil supports and safety for same-sex couples who choose to “spend their lives together,” such as civil unions and domestic partnerships, but that laws should not impose “things that by nature do not function in the church.”

Get the full scoop in Donald Padgett’s article for The Advocate. 

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Of course, this isn’t ‘news.’ The Catholic Church has repeatedly refused to bless the “sin” of same-sex marriages, despite ongoing requests from within the Church itself to change its stance -- including from many Catholic LGBTQ+ families, clergy members, and community allies.

Even Pope Francis, who is somewhat more open minded than popes of the past, has said many times that same-sex marriages are incompatible with the Church’s doctrines of faith. Although he emphasizes the need for compassion and tolerance toward his LGBTQ+ ‘brothers and sisters,’ that’s as far as his -- and the Church’s -- acceptance goes. 

In the meantime, American Marriage Ministries will continue to protect, support, and advocate for marriage quality every single day. We’ll never exclude anyone from our church on the basis of their sexual identity, race, nationality, socioeconomic status, or religious background.

We believe that every couple has the constitutionally protected right to enter into the institution of marriage on their own terms, including the right to choose who performs their wedding ceremony. 

Our free online ordination helps make this possible, by allowing couples to choose who will marry them, free of the judgement and mistreatment perpetuated by mainstream churches.

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