Vatican City - The Catholic Church does not have the authority to bless homosexual couples, according to an official document on Monday.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued the declaration in a "response to a doubt."

"In some ecclesial contexts, plans and proposals for blessings of unions of persons of the same sex are being advanced," it said.

But a blessing over human relationships is only compatible if it is "according to the designs of God inscribed in creation."

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"It is not licit to impart a blessing on relationships, or partnerships, even stable, that involve sexual activity outside of marriage ... as is the case of the unions between persons of the same sex," it said. "The presence in such relationships of positive elements, which are in themselves to be valued and appreciated, cannot justify these relationships and render them legitimate objects of an ecclesial blessing, since the positive elements exist within the context of a union not ordered to the Creator's plan."

Pope Francis – who has been seen to somewhat soften the line of the Church on same-sex unions, without suggesting a change in doctrine – had given his assent to publishing the document, it said.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith pointed out that its statement was not intended to be "a form of unjust discrimination, but rather a reminder of the truth of the liturgical rite."

Moreover, it said, blessings can be given to individual people with "homosexual inclinations." However, any form of blessing that recognizes a homosexual partnership is inadmissible.

In October 2020, a documentary on the pope caused a stir after featuring a clip in which Francis said: "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 be made miserable over it. What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that."

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At the time, the Vatican scrambled to clarify that the quote – which, it argued, had been edited out of context – did not contradict church doctrine and was only referring to Francis' position on nonclerical law.

That the declaration was approved by the pope will come as a blow to LGBT Catholics who had drawn hope from his previous statements on these issues.