‘No Possibility’ – Nigerian Catholic Bishops Reject Same-Sex Unions
A recent Vatican directive allowing blessings for same-sex couples has elicited a range of responses from Catholic leaders.
While upholding church doctrine that defines marriage as between a man and woman, some have adopted a more welcoming posture towards same-sex couples.
Advertisement
The Vatican had approved “spontaneous pastoral blessings for same-sex couples and other couples in irregular situations.”
However, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria maintained there is “no possibility in the teaching of the Church of blessing same-sex unions.”
A statement signed by its president, Lucius Ugirji and the Secretary, Donatus Ogun, partly reads: “The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria assures the entire People of God that the teaching of the Catholic Church on marriage remains the same. There is, therefore, no possibility in the teaching of the Church of blessing same-sex unions and activities.”
Similarly, Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Catholic Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, United States, in a statement maintained that the Catholic doctrine defines marriage to be between a man and a woman, adding it “is rooted in the Gospel we have received from Jesus Christ”
Advertisement
Cozzens stated that Christ Jesus receives anyone “with mercy and inviting them to deeper repentance and discipleship” but also calls sinners “repentance and conversion.”
He said, “Although it is impossible for us to bless a same-sex union, since any sexual union outside of the marriage of one man and one woman is contrary to the Gospel, we may bless individuals who are not yet living in full accord with the Gospel, even those in a same-sex union.”
According to the Catholic News Agency, the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, US, also issued a statement, maintaining that the unchanging Catholic doctrine on marriage is between a man and a woman, adding “The Church’s teaching on marriage has not changed.”
The recent guidelines from the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith may throw up the agelong church institution into a new wave of doctrinal crisis.
