Pope Francis has indicated that he would be open to having the Catholic Church bless same-sex couples, saying any request for a blessing should be treated with pastoral charity. 

The pope indicated this while responding to a group of cardinals who asked him for clarity on the issue on Monday.

“We cannot be judges who only deny, reject, and exclude,” the pope said.

Mr Francis explained that those asking for blessings are expressing a request for help from God to live better, something he said they should not be denied.

He, however, added that the church still considered same-sex relationships “objectively sinful” and would not recognise same-sex marriage.

The pope spoke at the opening of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, a global gathering to discuss the church’s future. 

In his opening address, he stressed the need to make the church of 1.3 billion faithful more tolerant amid changing social norms and demographics, including the growth of Christianity outside the West.

“The church is here for you! The church of open doors is for everyone, everyone, everyone,” the 86-year-old pope said. 

The pope warned against a rigid church and hoped the gathering would avoid “human strategies, political calculations or ideological battles”.

Since taking office in 2013, Pope Francis has tried to reform the church’s governance, making it less authoritative and more attentive to the needs of the faithful. He has, however, met stiff internal resistance along the way. 

Meanwhile, bishops in several countries, including Belgium and Germany, have begun to allow priests to bless same-sex couples, but the position of church authorities remained unclear.