The Vatican has said that the congratulatory letter sent from Pope Francis to a same-sex couple regarding the baptism of their children was a standard form letter sent to all who write to the Pope.
A source told CNA that the letter was not an endorsement of gay unions, and that the Pope may not have known that the letter was going to a gay couple, since it was addressed to a single individual.
This follows reports that Pope Francis congratulated Tony Reis, an LGBT activist, and his partner David Harrad following the baptism of their three adopted children in a church in Curitiba, Brazil.
In an official statement to CNA, Vice Director of the Holy See press office, Paloma Ovejero confirmed that the perception that the letter was not an affirmation of same-sex marriage and was directed only to Reis.
“Although it is true that in the body of the response there was a reference to a blessing of the family of the recipient, in Portuguese this expression has a generic and ample meaning, equivalent to ‘all the people close to you,’” Ovejero told CNA.
