LGBTQ community reacts to Pope Francis saying priests can bless same sex unions
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The Catholic Church doesn't allow for marriages between same-sex couples, but on Monday, Pope Francis took a step that at least seems to welcome members of the LGBTQ community.
Now priests can bless a same-sex couple.
"This is really reflective of who Pope Francis has been," said David Gibson, Director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University.
Fordham's Center for Religion and Culture says this new declaration paves the way for a less rigid church.
"We bless cars, guns, pets - we bless all kinds of things. We should be able to bless two people in a loving relationship who are trying to develop their own spiritual lives," says Gibson.
However, David Klimnick, The Founder of the NY LGBT Network thinks the Pope and the Catholic Church could and should do a lot more.
"It's on the positive side of things, but it still has a long way to go so that LGBT has the same access to celebrations, rituals as our heterosexual friends and family," Klimnick says.
This new declaration has many stipulations and ultimately does not allow the blessing of the actual relationship - but of the people in it.
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At St. Patrick's Cathedral on Monday, there was a variety of reaction - some saying the next step is to allow the actual marriage to take place.
Pope Francis turned 87 on Sunday - this new policy will become part of his legacy, but the next Pope could just as easily reverse course.
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