Following the Vatican’s decision to allow priests to non-liturgically bless same-sex couples, Catholic bishops across Africa have unified to defy the decree, according to multiple reports.
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Archbishop of Kinshasa and President of the Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), issued a letter Thursday asserting “unions of persons of the same-sex are contrary to the will of God and therefore cannot receive the blessing of the Church,” Vatican News reported. While the Episcopal Conferences across Africa are still in “communion” with Pope Francis and the Vatican, they decided they would not be blessing same-sex couples now or in the future.
In response to new Vatican guidelines permitting nonliturgical pastoral blessings of homosexual couples, the bishops of Africa issued a united statement in which they said there will be “no blessing for homosexual couples in the African churches.” https://t.co/mH3YWPVcXY
— Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) January 11, 2024
Ambongo said the letter represents the combined views of Africa’s bishops, according to the Catholic News Agency. The decision to not bless same-sex unions was made because of religious beliefs and cultural standards, the outlet reported. The cardinal reportedly said the African bishops assured Catholics “the Church’s doctrine on Christian marriage and sexuality remains unchanged.”
“For this reason, we, the African Bishops, do not consider it appropriate for Africa to bless homosexual unions or same-sex couples because, in our context, this would cause confusion and would be in direct contradiction to the cultural ethos of African communities,” Ambongo wrote in the letter, the Catholic News Agency reported.
Ambongo recognized that blessing same-sex unions is contradictory to many African cultures, and is certain to confuse many if practiced, Vatican News reported. That said, the African Cardinal is reportedly determined not to excommunicate, per se, those in “irregular” situations. (RELATED: ‘Culture Of Death’: Pope Francis Calls For Ban On Gestational Surrogacy)
“The African Bishops’ Conferences emphasize that people with a homosexual tendency must be treated with respect and dignity, while reminding them that unions of persons of the same-sex are contrary to the will of God and therefore cannot receive the blessing of the Church,” Ambongo said, according to the Catholic News Agency.
While Ambongo said this is by no means a deviation from Pope Francis’ teachings, it is most certainly an act of autonomy, the Catholic News Agency reported.