Di announcement say Pope Francis go allow priests bless same-sex couples na ogbonge news for LGBT pipo for di Roman Catholic Church.
But experts don warn say di decision no necessarily mean say di Vatican don recognise gay marriage.
For one document wey di pope approve and issue on 18 December, di Vatican declare say priests dey permitted to bless same-sex and “irregular” couples under certain circumstances.
However, di text tok say dat kain blessing no go be part of regular Church rituals.
According to Filipe Domingues, one professor for di Pontifical Gregorian University for Rome, e tok say di Vatican go continue to view marriage as union between one man and one woman, but di announcement dey important.
Di publication of di document na something wey dey very important because pipo bin no dey expect formal announcement [from di Vatican],” Prof Domingues tok.
But di expert point am out say no evident signs dey to show say di Church dey plan to take further steps towards accepting gay marriage.
“For di document, reaffirmation of wetin be di sacrament of marriage dey and dem review wetin di blessing mean. Dis dey very clear.”
Di Vatican previous statement on di issue, wey dem publish for 2021, bin kick against di blessing of same-sex marriages under di argument say God “no fit bless sin”.
“Di pope bin no dey very satisfied wit di final version of di 2021 document. Despite dis, e okay am,” Professor Domingues add, e note say since den, Pope Francis don adopt a more appeasing tone.
Di Roman Catholic Church get several kinds of blessings. According to di rules of public worship, a Catholic must dey “in conformity wit di will of God wey dey di teachings of di Church” to receive a blessing.
But Pope Francis now don introduce a more pastoral or community-based understanding of di blessing.
Di 18 December document state say anyone wey ask to dey blessed dey “show say dem dey in need of di saving presence of God” and dey make “a request for help from God, dem dey beg for a better life”.
“Di document make am very clear say make dem no turn di new blessing into ritual. Make dem do am informally, spontaneously, and make dem no use di word marriage or get one special way to do am,” Prof Domingues explain.
“Na practical measure to assist pipo wey dey for situation wia dem feel like say dem dey outside or distant from di Church.”
In a way, dis don already dey happun for Roman Catholic parishes under local deliberation of some priests or bishops.
One sociologist, Francisco Ribeiro Neto, wey be religious expert for University of Sao Paulo, for Brazil say wetin Pope Francis do now, na wetin dem dey call institutional legitimisation.
“Dem don already dey give dis blessing wey dey of pastoral nature but now, stimulus dey, confirmation from di Vatican say dis welcomed gesture dey desired by di Church ,” Ribeiro Neto tok.
“But e no dey compulsory for a priest to grant di blessing, e fit assess am on a case-by-case basis. Wetin di Church tok na say di faithful get di right to receive pastoral care.”
Di sociologist also believe say pipo no suppose see di 18 December announcement as step say Roman Catholic Church go accept gay marriage.
“Pope Francis no dey move towards allowing am but instead, e dey create category wey guarantee di acceptance of homosexuals, wey no go lead to dem dey give blessing to same-sex marriage”, e tok.
Ribeiro Neto see dis move as way to appease both di more traditionalist and modernising sectors of di Church.
“E mean say e dey attempt to create one category wey go put an end to dis controversy about weda or not to accept same-sex marriage.
Same-sex couples wey want receive some recognition from di Church go get dis blessing.”
Ribeiro Neto, however, stress am again say di blessing no mean say di Church approve di relationship.
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