- Zelensky denies ceasefire with Russia under discussion on trip
- Florida battered by hurricane, floods but spared 'worst-case scenario'
- After long fight for glory, Nadal leaves with a legacy of memories
- Home hopes Zheng and Wang through to last-eight in Wuhan Open
- UN peacekeepers say Israel fired on Lebanon HQ, injuring 2
- UK's William and Kate in first joint public engagement since cancer treatment
- Alcaraz out as top players pay tribute to Nadal at Shanghai Masters
- Racing's Farrell 'not thinking' about British and Irish Lions
- Alcaraz, Sinner pay tribute to 'unbelievable' Nadal at Shanghai Masters
- Over 200 women in legal talks with Harrods over Fayed abuse claims
- After K-pop, K-novels? South Korean Nobel win sparks joy, hope at home
- After Nadal exit, Djokovic left to rage against dying of the light
- A very stiff breeze: BBC says sorry for 20,000 kph wind forecast
- Triple centurion Brook happy to break Dad's club record
- Zelensky touts 'victory plan' against Russia in Macron talks
- Musk finally unveiling his long-promised robotaxi
- UN peacekeepers accuses Israel of firing on Lebanon HQ
- London's Frieze art fair goes potty for ceramics
- Southgate taking year out from coaching
- US, Europe stocks fall on US inflation data
- Zelensky meets Macron in Paris as part of European tour
- Hurricane Milton shreds Florida stadium roof
- UN probe accuses Israel of seeking to 'destroy' Gaza healthcare
- US consumer inflation eases to 2.4% in September
- England in sight of victory after Brook's triple hundred
- Juventus readmitted to ECA after failed Super League revolt
- World number 2 Alcaraz knocked out of Shanghai Masters by Machac
- Leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia meet amid regional tensions
- Klopp's Red Bull decision 'ruined life's work' say Dortmund fans
- Han Kang wins South Korea's first literature Nobel
- S. Korea's Nobel winner Han Kang a modest, thought-provoking writer
- Hurricane Milton tornadoes kill four in Florida amid rescue efforts
- The almost impossible job: Beating Rafael Nadal at the French Open
- New French government faces key test with budget plan
- Rescuers say Israeli strike on Gaza school kills 28
- Italy's ex-world champion gymnast Ferrari announces retirement
- Zelensky talks 'victory plan' in meeting with Starmer, Rutte
- South Korea's Han Kang wins literature Nobel
- Federer lauds retiring Nadal's 'incredible achievements'
- Ikea posts fall in annual sales after lowering prices
- Australia beat China 3-1 to resurrect World Cup campaign
- Stock markets diverge, oil gains after China rebounds
- Nadal defied injury woes in record-breaking career
- Nadal v Djokovic, French Open, 2006: Chapter One in epic rivalry
- World can't 'waste time' trading climate change blame: COP29 hosts
- Pakistan at 23-1 after Brook triple hundred takes England to 823-7
- Zelensky meets Starmer, Rutte on whirlwind tour of Europe
- South Korean same-sex couples make push for marriage equality
- Rafael Nadal calls time on epic tennis career
- Mumbai declares day of mourning for Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
RBGPF | 4.03% | 63.35 | $ | |
RYCEF | 0% | 6.9 | $ | |
CMSC | 0.16% | 24.56 | $ | |
RELX | -0.59% | 46.435 | $ | |
GSK | -1.91% | 39.485 | $ | |
BP | 0.91% | 32.275 | $ | |
AZN | -0.77% | 76.915 | $ | |
NGG | 0.47% | 65.94 | $ | |
BTI | -0.5% | 35.305 | $ | |
RIO | 0.35% | 66.58 | $ | |
SCS | -3.04% | 12.645 | $ | |
BCC | -1.32% | 140.54 | $ | |
JRI | -0.07% | 13.211 | $ | |
VOD | -0.31% | 9.7 | $ | |
BCE | -1.15% | 32.93 | $ | |
CMSD | 0.26% | 24.745 | $ |
Pope defends blessings for same-sex 'people'
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.
That sparked an outcry in some quarters, particularly in Africa, with critics accusing the Church of back-tracking on the issues of gay marriage and homosexuality, both of which it opposes.
"These blessings... do not require moral perfection in order to be received," the pope said during an audience with members of the dicastery.
"When a couple asks for it, it is not the union that is blessed, but simply the people who together have asked for it," he said.
"Not the union, but the people, naturally taking into account the context, the sensitivities, the places where one lives and the most appropriate ways to do it," Francis added.
The original declaration cautioned that priests could only perform blessings for same-sex couples, divorcees, or unmarried couples in "non-ritualised" contexts, and never in relation to weddings or civil unions.
Opposition to the Vatican's move has been particularly strong in Malawi, Nigeria and Zambia, as well as in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It has also sparked criticism at the highest levels, with Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, an influential figure in the conservative camp, slamming the declaration as "heresy".
Earlier this month, the dicastery defended itself, saying the Church was "clear and definitive" about marriage -- which it says can only be between a man and a woman -- and sexuality, with homosexuality considered a sin.
But it urged "prudence and attention to the ecclesial context and to the local culture" in applying the measure.
Since his election in 2013, 87-year-old Pope Francis has insisted on opening the doors of the Church to all its faithful, including the homosexual and LGBTQ communities.
But his efforts have met with strong resistance among its traditional and conservative fringe.
D.Sawyer--AMWN