The Catholic Bishops in Nigeria have voiced their disagreement with Pope Francis, the leader of the world’s nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics’ stance on blessing same-sex couples.
They conveyed their concerns during the opening of the 2024 First Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in Abuja, while expressing that it could be interpreted as endorsing same-sex marriage within the Church.
President of the CBCN, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, highlighted that the recent declaration by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has caused distress among the bishops.
While the declaration prohibits liturgical blessings for same-sex couples, it suggests pastoral blessings for couples in irregular situations, including same-sex couples.
This has led to mixed reactions globally, with many bishops and faithful rejecting the notion of blessing same-sex unions.
Ugorji however emphasized the bishops’ commitment to upholding Church teaching based on Scripture and Tradition, which prohibits blessing same-sex couples due to the grave depravity of homosexual acts.
He stressed the importance of teaching the faithful about repentance and God’s unconditional love for sinners.
His words: “We must sincerely admit that the Declaration, Fiducia Supplicans (On the Pastoral Meaning Blessings), issued on 18th December, 2023, by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, has added to our pains.
READ ALSO: Reason Africans Don’t Accept Homosexuality Is Understandable – Pope Francis
“It further stressed that such pastoral blessings should not be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them nor can it be performed with any clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding.
“Given the ambiguities in the Declaration, the document quickly aroused mixed reactions of acceptance, sceptical reserve and outright rejection from Episcopal Conferences and individual Bishops across the world.
“In the midst of this confusion and pushback, we must, as Pastors with the pastoral task of safeguarding the deposit of faith in its purity and integrity, uphold the teaching of the Church based on Holy Scripture and Tradition.
“We shouldn’t be conformed to this world but be transformed by renewing our minds, so we may discern what the will of God is, what is good and acceptable and perfect. We must continue to teach our faithful that there is no possibility of blessing same-sex couples or same-sex unions in the Church in Africa.
“Homosexual acts are of grave depravity which are intrinsically disordered and, above all, contrary to natural law. In furtherance of our pastoral and prophetic mission, we must also continue to stress that God loves the sinner unconditionally and calls him to repentance so that he might live.”
