French Archbishop Hervé Giraud has applauded Pope Francis' decision to allow blessings for couples in so-called "irregular situations" such as homosexuals, saying it is a way to take people where they are and help them grow in God's grace.
"I myself could give a blessing to a same-sex couple, because I believe it's based on a beautiful idea of blessing, according to the Gospel and the style of Christ," said the 66-year-old prelate, head of the Archdiocese of Sens in central France since 2015.
"The note from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith must surely be understood in this light, to help us discover another idea of blessing, a blessing of growth and not a blessing of pure recognition," he said.
Archbishop Giraud, who was ordained to the episcopate more than twenty years ago, made headlines last year when he met with an association of French Catholic parents who have homosexual sons or daughters.