Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky, offered his blessings to homosexuals in a “Catholic Pride Blessing” event organized in defiance of a Vatican ban on blessings for same-sex couples. Dignity USA advertised the online event by saying: “True blessing doesn’t come from hierarchies of power and control.” The gay-activist group said: “We won’t wait for the Vatican to recognize the gifts that LGBTQI people and their love bring to the Church.”

Other participants in the Dignity event, who offered their own blessings to gay couples, included Mary McAleese, the former president of Ireland, who has repeatedly attacked Church teachings regarding sexuality; and Miguel Diaz, who was US ambassador to the Holy See during the Obama administration.