The Holy Father announced on Monday, Dec. 18, the possibility of blessing same-sex couples, but without offering the impression of a marriage.

According to the Vatican, Pope Francis allowed priests to consent “irregular” couples for a blessing, but without any elements that constitute or resemble a marriage rite, as stated in the Declaration “Fiducia supplicans” on the pastoral meaning of blessings, published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by Pope Francis.

Cardinal Victor Fernandez explained that the Declaration allows “a broadening and enrichment of the classical understanding” through a theological reflection “based on the pastoral vision of Pope Francis.”

“[I]mplies a real development from what has been said about blessings up until now, reaching an understanding of the possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples without officially validating their status or changing in any way the Church’s perennial teaching on marriage,” Fernandez added.

According to the Declaration, the blessing should not have ceremonies or performed with “any clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding”, but might “find its place in other contexts, such as a visit to a shrine, a meeting with a priest, a prayer recited in a group, or during a pilgrimage.”