The Vatican doctrinal office has said that priests and other Catholic ministers will not be allowed to bless same-sex marriages, Reuters reports.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), in a statement on Monday warned that it is not licit to bless same-sex marriage as marriages between men and women was a sacrament that cannot be extended to same sex couples.

“For this reason, it is not licit to impart a blessing on relationships, or partnerships, even stable, that involve sexual activity outside of marriage (i.e., outside the indissoluble union of a man and a woman open in itself to the transmission of life), as is the case of the unions between persons of the same sex,” it said.

“God does not and cannot bless sin: He blesses sinful man, so that he may recognize that he is part of his plan of love and allow himself to be changed by him,” the statement added.

Approved by Pope Francis, the ruling of the doctrinal office was issued to address questions about whether Catholic clergy can bless same-sex unions. 

The Pope Francis in 2020 sparked controversies after he clamoured for the protection of civil rights of Homosexuals.

“Homosexual people have a right to be in a family, they are children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or made miserable over it. What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered,” Pope Francis said.  

The office stated that its response was not to be a form of unjust discrimination, but a reminder of the truth of the liturgical rite.

It added that such blessings will not be allowed despite being motivated by sincere desire to help homosexual persons grow in the faith.