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On June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges struck down states’ same-sex marriage bans as unconstitutional, effectively bringing marriage equality to all 50 states. Although the cases dealt with laws in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee specifically, the court’s decision encompassed the constitutionality of same-sex marriage bans across the nation. In Obergefell, Justice Kennedy&;concluded:&; The text focused on clarifying the wide-ranging meaning of what a Catholic blessing can encompass. There are formal sacramental blessings, like that given during marriage rites. There are also less formal blessings given to people, objects and places. The pope essentially said that same-sex couples are not excluded from these latter blessings, but that the church still cannot accept their unions.