VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis has suggested there could be ways to bless same-sex unions, responding to five conservative cardinals who challenged him to affirm church teaching on homosexuality ahead of a major meeting where LGBTQ Catholics are on the agenda.

The Vatican published on Monday a letter Francis wrote to the cardinals on July 11 after receiving a list of five questions, or 'dubia,' from them a day earlier. In it, the 86-year-old pontiff suggests that such blessings could be studied if they didn't confuse the blessing with sacramental marriage.