Big odds between Pope Francis and African Bishops over ambiguous gay marriage stance.Photo credit Pink news.
Within religious circles, often, the voice of the leader is the supreme voice of all. It dictates the direction the congregation should go Going against the church leader often invites rebuke and possible banishment from the church. In what may be a first, African priests recently rejected the decision by the Pope to bless same-sex marriages. While there hasn’t been any response from the Vatican pertaining to the African priests’ position, the polarising nature of the Pope’s recent pronouncements will most likely cause some serious friction in one of the world’s most respected and biggest churches.
On 18 December 2023, The Vatican released a declaration that permitted nonliturgical blessings of same-sex couples. The news was instantly welcomed by LGBTQ activists from all over the world including those in Africa. The Declaration was instantly regarded as one of the major turn points in the quest for global recognition of same-sex relationships and marriages. However, there was also instant condemnation of the Declaration by many Catholics especially those in Africa which is home to 265 million Catholics.
Schoenstatt Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke a Nigerian Priest said the church’s position is and will always remain that marriage is a sacramental union between a man and a woman. Father Ugwoke said the latest Declaration from the Vatican though shrouded in ambiguity is a witty way of introducing same-sex marriages in the Catholic. He said by allowing priests to bless same-sex marriages while outlawing liturgical ceremonies or rites for such unions, the Vatican is just testing the waters before giving these unions the same privileges as those reserved for unions between a man and a woman.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria issued a statement saying there is “no possibility in the teaching of the Church of blessing same-sex unions and activities. That would go against God’s law, the teachings of the Church, the laws of our nation, and the cultural sensibilities of our people.”
South African Jesuit Fr. Nobert Munekani who practices in one of the few countries on the African continent that has legalised same-sex marriages said the Vatican Declaration is ambiguous and as such, “it comes with a lot of confusion and misrepresentations to many people”. He said in South Africa, the Declaration has been received with mixed feelings with some embracing it while others wholeheartedly against it. “If you listen to people who are pro-same-sex marriages, they actually have elevated this declaration to the level of the church having now accepted homosexual marriages. But that’s clearly not what it is, and this still brings about confusions and anxieties among the faithful and the people of God”.
To Father Munekani, the Declaration “should not be read or understood as an endorsement to same-sex unions, but as rather a response to numerous questions about the possibility of imparting a blessing on same-sex couples”. Father Ugwoke clarified this stating, “The Declaration has not distorted this understanding of God’s position against homosexuality… When you bless anyone, you are not blessing what they are doing or the irregular situation they have entangled themselves in. The blessing is not sacramental, which approves or endorses their union. The blessing you’re giving is simply an act of piety”.
Roundly, The Catholic Bishops of Africa and Madagascar collectively rejected the Declaration saying such blessings, “would cause confusion and would be in direct contradiction to the cultural ethos of African communities”. A statement by the Catholic Bishops of Southern Africa said “Marriage remains exclusive between a man and a woman”.
The few Catholics who have embraced the Vatican Declaration include Ricus Dullaert who is the founder of an LGBTQ support group at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Johannesburg. Dullaert said the Declaration presents a radical shift from the previous policies of the church and as such, commended Pope Francis for his progressive stance and reform-minded papacy. “We are happy about that… This will give more progressive forces in the church an opening to do something in that field of blessing gay relations which is quite a revolution”.
Dullaert did however lament the unequal blessings afforded to same-sex marriages and unions between men and women. He said the Declaration only affords the LGBTQ community with “a marginalized blessing”. “The document has some strings attached because it goes to great lengths to explain that this blessing of ‘irregular relationships’ should not be equalled to marriage and especially with gay people. They kept emphasizing that aspect and also saying that it shouldn’t take place in a liturgical setting that looks like a marriage”.
Another LGBTQ activist Henry Ugwu from Nigeria said the Declaration is just the first step in a long road. He said in years to come, LGBTQ people will be recognized and afforded the same rights as other individuals in communities and the church. “There is no reason why gay individuals should be excluded from the Catholic Church. They are part of the society… Fifty years from now, there’s a greater chance that the Church will fully accept gay people and gay marriage. There were generations when women had no rights to vote. We look at that generation now as barbaric. Maybe 100 years from now, the generation at the time will look at the Catholic Church as barbaric for not allowing married adults into the church”.
