LGBT People Decry Vatican's Same-Sex Unions Ruling: 'The Pope Isn't Your County Clerk'

Members of the LGBT community have expressed their anger and disappointment following a ruling from the Vatican that the Roman Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex marriages.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), the church body responsible for matters of doctrine and orthodoxy, issued the statement on Monday in response to a question about whether Roman Catholic clergy can bless LGBT unions.

Many social media users took to Twitter to criticize the decision, with some prominent members of the LGBT community stressing their solidarity with LGBT Catholics.

"Love is love," tweeted Chasten Buttigieg, who is married to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

"Gay marriage is legal. The Pope isn't your County Clerk. Register for the fancy sheets and wine glasses. Peace and blessings."

Chasten Buttigieg was raised in a conservative Catholic family and is now a writer and advocate for LGBT rights.

Singer-songwriter Elton John called out what he suggested was the Vatican's hypocritical position on LGBT people. He pointed to a Daily Beast article from 2019 reporting that the Vatican spent millions investing his biopic, Rocketman.

"How can the Vatican refuse to bless gay marriages because they 'are sin', yet happily make a profit from investing millions in 'Rocketman' - a film which celebrates my finding happiness from my marriage to David?? #hypocrisy."

John has been in a relationship with Canadian filmmaker David Furnish since 1993 and entered a civil partnership in 2005. After same-sex marriages became legal in England and Wales in 2014, they converted their civil union into a marriage.

The Vatican statement said that God "does not and cannot bless sin: He blesses sinful man, so that he may recognize that he is part of his plan of love and allow himself to be changed by him."

While the CDF acknowledged that LGBT unions can contain positive elements, it said those elements "exist within the context of a union not ordered to the Creator's plan."

Though much of the criticism was aimed at the Pope, he did not make the determination himself. However, as head of the church, he exercises significant power over matters of doctrine. Some critics also pointed to the history of child sexual abuse in the church.

"My marriage doesn't need or want the Vatican's blessing but I know today's decree is one more painful aggression against LGBT Catholics who do care," tweeted bestselling writer and professor Roxane Gay.

"We are supposed to be impressed by a pope who vaguely acknowledges our humanity but he is the head of the church. They are one."

"He doesn't believe in our right to live and love freely. He is only progressive in relation to previous popes who were archaic. Today's decree is bullshit. Also the sex abuse scandal. It's a corrupt and cruel institution," she said.

"Not a choice. Not a sin. Not the truth. @Pontifex," wrote screenwriter and LGBT rights activist Dustin Lance Black. "[A]im your ire at your own priests' 'choices and sins.' Their rape and abuse of children in their care, before you throw one more stone at loving, supportive queer couples and our families."

"This is shameful, dangerous, and embarrassing (for them)," tweeted Canadian actor Dan Levy. "Not to mention t h e h y p o c r i s y . . ."