By Daniel Edu
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has restated its firm stance against blessing same-sex unions and activities, asserting that such actions would be in contradiction to God’s law, the teachings of the Church, Nigerian laws, and the cultural norms of the Nigerian people.
In a clear statement issued on Thursday, the Catholic Bishops reaffirmed the Church’s doctrine on marriage, emphasizing it as an “exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union of a man and a woman.” This declaration follows the recent reconfirmation by the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) that the Church’s teachings on the sacrament of marriage remain unchanged, despite the Vatican’s decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples.
An official from the Secretariat, speaking anonymously to Vanguard, emphasized that the Church’s position on same-sex marriage remains unaltered and clarified that the recent Vatican Declaration, ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ (pleading with courage), does not change the Church’s teachings.
The CBCN statement identifies irregular unions, including divorced and remarried couples whose previous marriages were not annulled, those in polygamous unions, those in same-sex unions, and those in concubinage, among others. The bishops underscored that blessings for individuals in irregular unions can only be performed in a non-liturgical manner to avoid confusion. Such blessings should not be part of a civil wedding ceremony or include elements associated with weddings.
While encouraging those in irregular unions to remain hopeful and open to conversion, the Catholic Bishops emphasized that the Church lacks the authority to bestow blessings on irregular unions like same-sex marriages. They reiterated the truth about God’s mercy and stated that seeking God’s blessing is not contingent on one’s goodness but stems from the acknowledgment of imperfection and the desire for divine grace.
The CBCN expressed gratitude to priests for their support of married couples and urged them to continue upholding the sanctity of holy matrimony, avoiding actions that would diminish the sacredness of the sacrament.
