Africa

Catholic Bishops in Senegal Firmly Reject LGBTQ Blessings Amidst Vatican Controversy

Published

11 months ago

January 19, 2024

Senegal’s Catholic bishops have firmly rejected the blessing of same-sex couples, responding to the recent Vatican approval for such blessings in specific contexts. While the Vatican’s declaration allowed priests to bless “irregular” and LGBTQ, it didn’t alter Senegal, Catholic bishops, same-sex blessings, Vatican controversy, stance, opposition, gay marriage, SECAM, and African cultural values. Catholic Church’s stance on same-sex marriages or unions.

This move sparked criticism from conservative Catholics, particularly in Africa, who viewed it as a departure from the Church’s opposition to gay marriage and homosexuality.

In a statement dated Thursday, Senegal’s bishops asserted their position, stating, “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’.” They emphasized the Church’s condemnation of moral deviations, including homosexuality, as contrary to God’s will. However, they expressed the Church’s concern for individuals, regardless of their choices or orientations.

Senegal’s legal stance on gay sex, punishable by up to five years of imprisonment, aligns with the Catholic Church’s position. The coexistence of the Catholic community and the Muslim majority in Senegal is marked by peaceful relations, with some locals viewing homosexuality as a Western imposition.

The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), representing the continent’s Catholic bishops, echoed Senegal’s bishops, stating that blessing homosexual unions would create confusion and contradict African cultural values.

Approximately 30 African countries currently criminalize homosexuality, with severe penalties in some cases.

In January, the Vatican clarified its December document, emphasizing doctrinal consistency while advising “prudence” in specific countries—this clarification aimed to address concerns and reaffirm the Church’s doctrinal stance on homosexuality and same-sex unions.