Pope says priests can't bless same-sex unions, dashing hopes of gay Catholics

In a decree approved by Pope Francis, the Vatican on Monday said that priests cannot bless same-sex unions, saying that such relationships are “not ordered to the Creator’s plan.”

“The blessing of homosexual unions cannot be considered licit,” the church said.

The “explanatory note,” issued by the Vatican’s doctrinal watchdog, carries the weight of a universal ground rule for the Roman Catholic Church — and it regards one of the most controversial inside an institution divided over its stance on sexuality.