Senegal’s Catholic bishops have said they refuse to bless same-sex couples, the latest outcry following the Vatican’s recent approval of blessings for same-sex couples in certain contexts.
Last month, the Catholic Church said priests could bless “irregular” and same-sex couples as long as they were not in contexts related to civil unions or weddings.
The declaration, published by the Vatican’s faith department and approved by Pope Francis, does not change the Catholic Church’s stance on same-sex marriages or unions.
But it sparked an outcry amongst some conservative Catholics, particularly in Africa, after it was interpreted as back-tracking on the issues of gay marriage and homosexuality, both of which the Church opposes.
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“In the current context of progressive and insidious legitimisation or legalisation of homosexuality and other moral deviations, we, your pastors, the bishops of Senegal, clearly affirm that, in our dioceses, no form of liturgical or extra-liturgical blessings may be administered to two people of the same sex who expressly request them as ‘same-sex couples’”, said the statement dated Thursday.
“Moral deviations in general, and homosexuality in particular, in its various expressions, are considered by the Church to be an abomination against God’s will,” the bishops added, but noted the “Church’s concern for every person… whatever their choice and orientation in life.”
Senegalese law deems gay sex “against nature” and punishes it with imprisonment of up to five years.
The Catholic community lives peacefully alongside the Muslim majority in the West African nation, where many believe being gay is a Western lifestyle being imposed on their society.
The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), which represents the continent’s Catholic bishops, said earlier in January it did not “consider it appropriate for Africa to bless homosexual unions or same-sex couples”.
SECAM added that giving the blessings would cause “confusion and would be in direct contradiction to the cultural ethos of African communities”.
Around 30 African countries currently ban homosexuality, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), with some punishing same-sex relations extremely harshly.
The Vatican earlier in January sought to clarify the document published in December, denying it strayed from doctrine while urging “prudence” in certain countries.
