Pope Francis has authorized priests to bless same-sex couples, while stressing such blessings should not be part of civil union ceremonies and reiterating the Vatican’s position that marriage is between a man and a woman.
The Vatican previously opposed alternative blessings for same-sex couples. Its new doctrine reads:
“Indeed, the grace of God works in the lives of those who do not claim to be righteous but who acknowledge themselves humbly as sinners, like everyone else. … Therefore, with its untiring wisdom and motherly care, the Church welcomes all who approach God with humble hearts, accompanying them with those spiritual aids that enable everyone to understand and realize God’s will fully in their existence.”
The doctrine specifies the blessings can’t include gestures, clothing or words associated with weddings.
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An appeals court on Monday denied former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows‘s request to move his racketeering charges in the Georgia 2020 election case to federal court.
Oil prices rose by more than 2 percent Monday, with several companies suspending shipping operations in the Red Sea amid attacks on vessels by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he discussed “how to transition from high-intensity operations to lower intensity and more surgical operations” with Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
The Senate’s holiday recess, scheduled to begin last week, is on hold as the chamber works toward an agreement on border policy, a major sticking point in passing a package also including aid to Ukraine, Israel and more.
Senate and White House negotiators worked through the weekend, with senators providing no consensus on when they expect a deal to be reached.
While Republicans generally push for tougher border measures than Democrats support, there have been signs of tension within the Democratic Party as well around how much ground to give.
COURTS
House Dems call for Thomas recusal from Trump case
Several House Democrats signed a letter calling on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomasto recuse himself from a case reviewing former President Trump‘s immunity defense in the federal case into efforts to overturn 2020 election results. From the letter:
“If you want to show the American people that the Supreme Court’s recent Code of Conduct is worth more than the paper it is written on, you must do the honorable thing and recuse yourself from any decisions in the case of United States v. Trump.”
Senate Democrats sent Thomas a similar letter last week. Lawmakers in both chambers noted that Ginni Thomas, the justice’s wife, supported Trump’s unfounded election fraud claims.
Authorities determined a crash between a car and a parked SUV that was part of President Biden‘s motorcade was accidental. The driver was charged with driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and inattentive driving.
Santos says he’ll ‘be back’
Expelled former Rep.George Santos (R-N.Y.) told comedianZiwe he’ll “be back,” adding, “I’m 35. They’re all in their 50s. I’ll outlive them,” in reference to his former colleagues.
Passport processing times back to normal
The State Department announced passport application processing times are back to pre-pandemic levels: six to eight weeks for routine processing and two to three weeks for expedited service.
Tuesday: President Biden speaks at a service for late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor at Washington National Cathedral. Former President Trumpholds a rally in Waterloo, Iowa.
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