A small group of people stood outside Saint Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco Monday to thank Pope Francis for his recent declaration, allowing priests to bless same-sex marriages.
Michael Petrelis calls them the Rainbow Brigade and they had a simple message for parishioners at mid-day mass.
"We are sending a gift, and it's a gift of gratitude to Pope Francis for what he's done,” he said. “He has taken on conservatives at the Vatican on behalf of gay people."
In an announcement last week from the Vatican, the pope declared bishops can offer blessings to people in same-sex marriages.
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That's a major departure from church teachings, which didn't officially recognize the relationships at all.
The message to parishioners Monday was a bit of a surprise for the demonstrators.
When Pope Francis made his announcement on same-sex marriages last week, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone was very muted in his response.
The archdiocese issued a short statement that said: “I encourage those who have questions to read the Vatican’s declaration closely and in continuity with the churches unchanging teaching." Which is to say. the declaration does not give the green light to priests to conduct a same sex wedding.
Instead, a same-sex, married couple that is in need of spiritual guidance and encouragement could ask for a priest's blessing and the priest will be permitted to grant it.
Petrelis hopes Cordileone follows the Pope's lead and opens up the San Francisco archdiocese even further.
NBC Bay Area reached out to the archdiocese for any further comment about the pope’s declaration but did not hear back.
