Africa (Commonwealth) _ Catholic bishops in Africa have issued a united reaction to a recent Vatican proclamation, reaffirming their commitment to the pope and the Gospel, stating that they “generally prefer” not to bless same-sex marriages.
The African episcopal conferences think that the extra-liturgical blessings envisaged in the ‘Fiducia supplicans’ proclamation cannot be carried out in Africa without exposing themselves to controversies, according to a statement issued on January 11.
We, the African bishops, believe that blessing gay unions or same-sex couples is inappropriate in our setting since it would generate confusion and be in direct contrast to the traditional ethos of African communities, according to the statement.
While the proclamation, “Fiducia Supplicans” (“Supplicating Trust”) on “the pastoral meaning of blessings,” does not affect church doctrine concerning human sexuality and marriage, the statement stated, the terminology it employs “remains too subtle for simple people to understand.”
Furthermore, it is still difficult to convince persons of the same sex living in a permanent partnership that they do not claim validity for their own position. We, African bishops, insist on the call to convert everyone, it added.
The statement, headed “No blessing for homosexual couples in African churches,” was endorsed by Congolese Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, president of SECAM and a member of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinals.
The declaration addressed “to all brothers and sisters in the Lord” and was a synthesis of answers from the African bishops’ conferences to “Fiducia Supplicans,” signed by Francis and released by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith on December 18, 2023.
The SECAM statement was approved by Francis and Cardinal VÃctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the dicastery. It summarizes the positions of African national and inter-territorial bishops’ conferences in response to the December 18 declaration.
The Vatican declaration firmly upholds church teaching that marriage is only a life-long union between a man and a woman, but it allows priests in certain circumstances to give very brief, informal, non-sacramental, non-liturgical blessings to couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples without officially validating their status or changing the Church’s perennial teaching on marriage.
According to the SECAM statement, this pronouncement has generated a shockwave across the African church family, planted misunderstandings and dissatisfaction in the minds of many lay faithful, consecrated individuals, and even pastors, and elicited passionate reactions.
In an interview on December 25, Fernández emphasized the substantial resistance to the proclamation in Africa, saying bishops there were concerned about the inappropriateness of conducting blessings that may be seen as legitimizing an illegal union in their regional circumstances.
Several African countries have regulations that punish the simple act of declaring oneself gay with jail time, so it would be hard to imagine a priest in those countries blessing a gay couple, he told the Spanish newspaper ABC, and it is up for every local bishop to make this discernment in his diocese or to provide further guidance.
The SECAM statement reiterated the bishops’ communion with the pope, as well as their “unwavering attachment” and obedience to God’s Word.
It stated that the bishops acknowledged the proclamation does not affect church teaching, that it specifically precludes the acceptance of homosexual marriage, and that it considers any ritual or prayer that may compromise the correct definition of marriage to unacceptable.
However, it was highlighted that while the Vatican declaration allows for certain blessings, it does not force them, and that some governments choose to take more time to consider the declaration.
The Vatican doctrinal office stated in a follow-up statement Jan. 4 that bishops should be cautious about the Vatican’s direction on blessing same-sex or other unmarried couples, yet they should not deny their priests the opportunity to discern and impart pastoral blessings on people who request them, as some bishops have banned priests in their diocese from doing so.
The Vatican office stated that some communities would prefer to wait until more time is available for research and catechesis, and that “prudence and attention to the ecclesial context and local culture could allow for different methods of application.”
According to the SECAM statement, bishops in Africa will continue to consider the importance of the document’s overall topic, which is more than only blessing for couples in an abnormal circumstance, namely the richness of spontaneous blessings in everyday pastoral care.
The African bishops’ conferences reiterate their commitment to continue offering pastoral help to all its members, especially to couples in irregular situations, and they highlighted that those with a homosexual propensity must be treated with respect and dignity, yet reminding them that same-sex marriage are against God’s will and hence do not get the church’s support.
The bishops’ conferences “generally opt — each bishop remaining free in his diocese — not to provide blessings to same-sex couples,” the report stated.
Ambongo urged “Christian communities not to let themselves be shaken.” His Holiness Pope Francis, who is vehemently opposed to all forms of cultural colonialism in Africa, greets the African people and encourages them to be steadfast in their defense of Christian principles.”
