Kinshasa – In a significant move, the bishops of Africa and Madagascar are collaborating to create a unified response to the recent announcement by Pope Francis regarding the blessing of homosexual and irregular couples. This coordinated effort aims to establish a common stance for the entire Church of Africa on this sensitive issue.
According to Burkina Information Agency, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), issued a letter on December 20, 2023, requesting the opinions of various Episcopal Conference presidents. The objective is to draft a single synodal declaration that would be applicable across the Church in Africa. Cardinal Ambongo has set a deadline for receiving these opinions by the end of January 2024.
The Pope’s allowance, announced on December 18, 2023, for the blessing of homosexual and irregular couples outside the liturgy, has elicited varied reactions across the African continent. SECAM’s president emphasized the importance of the African episcopate articulating a clear position to provide precise guidance to the faithful.
Several episcopates have already made their positions known. The Episcopal Conferences of Malawi, Zambia, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Ghana have prohibited the blessing of same-sex couples. Conversely, the bishops of Burkina Faso and Niger, along with the Archbishop of Abidjan, Cardinal Jean Pierre Kutwã, and the South African episcopate, have advised their followers to await further details.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Bishop of Maradi, André-Giraud Pindi Mwanza, has instructed priests to seek authorization from the diocesan bishop before blessing same-sex couples. The Kenyan bishops have clarified that blessing an individual does not equate to condoning immoral acts. They hope such blessings lead individuals towards a path of conversion. Furthermore, they have reiterated that the Pope’s declaration does not equate to an endorsement of homosexual marriage and that the blessing in question is distinct from a sacramental blessing.
This initiative by the African bishops to develop a collective response reflects the diverse and complex perspectives within the Church in Africa regarding the blessing of homosexual couples.