Church blessing for lesbian partners

A parish priest in Switzerland has blessed a lesbian couple in his parish church in a service closely resembling a marriage ceremony, writes Christa Pongratz-Lippitt.

When the couple from his parish approached him with the request to bless their partnership, Fr Wendelin Bucheli, parish priest of Bürglen in the Swiss Diocese of Chur, first consulted all the members of his parish council at length, but also sought the advice of a Jesuit colleague, he told the Urner Wochenblatt.

The diocese would be looking into the case, its spokesman said.