Pope Francis signed a decree prohibiting Priests and Bishops from bestowing blessings upon same-sex marriages within Roman Catholic Churches.
The announcement, made by Apostle Joshua Akinyemiju, Chairman of the Oyo State Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), sought to clarify recent reports claiming the Pope had approved such blessings.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan, Akinyemiju refuted the viral news, asserting that the Pope's decree, titled "Fiducia Supplicants," did not specifically endorse same-sex marriages. Instead, the document focused on blessings in general, dispelling the media's misinterpretation.
"The document has been misunderstood; it does not signify approval of same-sex marriage," Akinyemiju emphasized, dispelling rumors and addressing the misconception surrounding the Pope's decree.
Most Rev. Emmanuel Badejo, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo, supported Akinyemiju's clarification, stating the Church's unwavering stance against LGBTQ rights.
Badejo pointed out that the recent declaration was a continuation of the dicastery's 2021 stance, known as "Responsum," which firmly opposed blessings for same-sex unions.
"The current document is a queer explanation of that. Most media analyses so far are opaque and misleading," Badejo asserted.
He urged individuals to thoroughly study the document, highlighting that it does not alter the Church's teachings on the sanctity of Christian marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
Badejo underscored the critical times, urging priests to educate the faithful and avoid echoing misleading media narratives. "The times are critical, and our people die for lack of knowledge," he stated.
Similarly, Rt. Rev. Oluyinka Akande, Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West, Methodist Church Nigeria, expressed his viewpoint on the matter. Akande stressed that sex is a gift from God, intended as an expression of love exclusively between a husband and wife.
He cited biblical references, particularly Genesis 2:24, to reinforce the Christian worldview on marriage.
Akande firmly rejected the practice of same-sex relationships, equating it with signs of the end times as condemned by the Bible. Quoting Leviticus 20:13, he emphasized the severity of such relationships in biblical terms.
