Pope Francis has allowed priests to bless same-sex couples, a significant advance for LGBT people in the Roman Catholic Church.

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church said priests should be permitted to bless same-sex and “irregular” couples, under certain circumstances. Introducing the text in an approved document issued on Monday, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Church, said that the new declaration remained “firm on the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage”, as it does not validate the status of same-sex couples in the eyes of the Catholic Church, which continues to view marriage as between a man and a woman.

The Vatican said it should be a sign that “God welcomes all”, but the new guidelines would allow priests to bless relationships still considered sinful, as people receiving a blessing “should not be required to have prior moral perfection”.