>> The Vatican decreed Monday that the Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex unions since God "cannot bless sin." The Vatican's orthodoxy office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued a formal response Monday to a question about whether Catholic clergy can bless gay unions. >> The answer, contained in a two-page explanation published in seven languages and approved by Pope Francis, was "negative." >> The decree distinguished between the church's welcoming and blessing of gay people, which it upheld, but not their unions since any such sacramental recognition could be confused with marriage. >> The Vatican holds that gays must be treated with dignity and respect, but that gay sex is "intrinsically disordered." Catholic teaching holds that marriage, a lifelong union between a man and woman, is part of God's plan and is intended for the sake of creating new life.