A Clash of Values
The Vatican’s recent declaration allowing the blessing of same-sex couples has caused a stir around the globe, but perhaps most of all in Africa, a rising center of the Roman Catholic Church’s future.
In one statement after the next, bishops in several countries spoke of the fear and confusion the declaration has caused among their flocks, and said it was out of step with the continent’s culture and values.
The bishops also harbored a deeper fear: that in a place where the church is growing faster than anywhere else in the world, and where many forms of Christianity are competing for worshipers, the declaration could slow the church’s expansion on the continent.
A matter of Doctrine
The Vatican’s declaration, approved by Pope Francis, was explicit in saying that marriage remained a union between a man and a woman. According to a report by The New York Times, it also said that the church’s position on homosexuality had not changed and the blessing of same-sex couples was not a sacrament.
However, it also said that gay people, who are “children of God”, deserved respect and dignity, and that priests could bless them individually, as long as they did not imply a recognition of their relationship.
Some bishops, such as Bishop Martin Mtumbuka of the Karonga Diocese in Malawi, accused Western pastors of trying to bend the word of God to accept homosexuals as a way of attracting more vocations.
Others, such as Bishop John Oballa of the Ngong Diocese near Nairobi, said they would advise their priests not to bless same-sex couples, as it could be scandalous and weaken the faith of others.
A Challenge of Diversity
The Vatican’s declaration has laid bare a tension for the church in Africa: how to welcome homosexuals while not upsetting believers who stand firmly behind the church’s teaching.
Some African church leaders feel strongly that they should not even talk about homosexuality, as it is “un-African” and a Western import.
Others, however, feel differently, as they know gay people and recognize their struggles.
The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference interpreted the declaration to mean that they could bless individuals in same-sex relationships, but not present them together,” said Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of the Mthatha Diocese in South Africa, who is also the president of the conference.
He also said that the church in Africa needed to have more dialogue and pastoral care for gay people, who often face discrimination and violence in their societies.
A Hope of Reconciliation
How the controversy over the blessing of same-sex couples plays out in the long run in Africa remains an open question.
Some people say there may be very little tension, as few gay couples are expected to ask for blessings.
Others say there may be a need for more communication and education between the Vatican and the African church leaders, to avoid misunderstandings and divisions.
However, some also see an opportunity for the church in Africa to show its diversity and compassion, and to embrace the message of Pope Francis, who has called for a more inclusive and merciful church.
As he said in his 2016 apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, “No one can be condemned forever, because that is not the logic of the Gospel!”
