A rainbow flag is seen on the wall of a Catholic church as the building is open for same-sex couples to receive a blessing in Cologne, Germany, May 10, 2021. REUTERS/Thilo SchmuelgenVATICAN CITY, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Flemish Roman Catholic bishops on Tuesday issued a document effectively allowing the blessing of same-sex unions, seemingly in direct defiance of a ruling against such practices by the Vatican's doctrinal office last year. The document published on the website of the Belgian bishops conference suggested a ritual that included a prayer and a benediction for stable same-sex unions while stressing that it is not "what the Church understands by a sacramental marriage". It said the Church wanted to be "pastorally close to homosexual persons" and be a "welcoming Church that excludes no one". In March 2021, in response to formal questions from a number of Roman Catholic dioceses on whether the practice of blessing same-sex unions was allowed, the Vatican's doctrinal office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), ruled that it was not.

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