Zambia’s Catholic bishops have ordered clergy not to bless same-sex couples.
In a statement on Wednesday, December 20, they said that the new document of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, “Fiducia supplicans”, has caused a number of questions, misunderstandings and concerns among the faithful and people of good will.
The Episcopate of Zambia recalls that Sacred Scripture presents homosexual acts as acts of grave moral disorder and contrary to the laws of nature. Therefore, they cannot be blessed under any circumstances.
“In order to avoid pastoral confusion and ambiguity, and not to violate the law of our country, which prohibits homosexual relations, while listening to our cultural heritage which does not accept homosexual relations, the Conference recommends that the declaration of the Dicastery for the December 18, 2023 Doctrine of the Faith regarding the blessing of same-sex couples was accepted for further consideration and not for implementation in Zambia,” the report said.
Ultimately, the bishops called on people living in such a condition to enter the path of conversion, trusting in God’s mercy.
“The Church promotes a godless ideology.” Storm after Pope Francis’ decision
The Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Astana, Kazakhstan, Tomasz Peta, together with Auxiliary Bishop Athanasius Schneider, also forbade the priests under their orders to give any form of blessing to irregular or homosexual couples.
“We call on and forbid the priests and faithful of the Archdiocese of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Astana from accepting or giving any kind of blessing to couples in an irregular living situation and to couples of the same sex,” they wrote in a statement today published statement. .
The archbishops’ statement is a response to Pope Francis’ document ‘Fiducia suplicans’, which was published on Monday, December 18.
The document states that priests can give “spontaneous” blessings to “irregular” and homosexual couples in certain non-liturgical situations. He further claims that such a “blessing” in no way “officially confirms their status” or changes the Church’s doctrinal teaching on sexuality and marriage.
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
