Nigerian Catholic Bishops Disagree with Pope: ‘Blessing Same-Sex Marriage Is Not God’s Law’
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has stated that blessing same-sex marriage is against God’s law. Reacting to the controversy surrounding Pope Francis’s directive that Catholic priests can bless same-sex couples, the Nigerian bishops said that blessing same-sex marriage is contrary to the teachings of the Church, the laws of the country, and the cultural sensibilities of Nigerians.
In a statement signed by CBCN President and Secretary, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji and Most Rev. Donatus Ogun, respectively, and other executives, the bishops insisted that the teachings of the Catholic Church on marriage remained the same. They thanked the priests for their accompaniment of married couples and asked them to continue sustaining the sacrament of Holy Matrimony without detracting from its sacredness.