As Pope Francis’ directions on same-sex marriage blessings continue to cause confusion amongst the Catholic fold, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria said they will not comply with the Pontiff.
Pope Francis during the week said it was okay for Priests to bless same-sex marriages, but the Church will not back down on its rule that states a marriage is between a man and a woman and the church will not conduct same-sex marriage.
But the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria in a statement signed by its president Lucius Ugirji and the Secretary, Donayus Ogun said:“The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria assures the entire People of God that the teaching of the Catholic Church on marriage remains the same. “There is, therefore, no possibility in the teaching of the Church of blessing same-sex unions and activities.
“That would go against God’s law, the teachings of the Church, the laws of our nation, and the cultural sensibilities of our people.”
Meanwhile Pope Francis Thursday cautioned top Vatican officials against becoming rigid and obsessing over ideology, saying that such habits can prevent the Catholic Church from growing.
“Fear, rigidity and monotony make for an immobility that has the apparent advantage of not creating problems…but lead us to wander aimlessly within our labyrinths, to the detriment of the service we are called to offer the church and the whole world,” said the pope.
Francis offered the warning in his annual pre-Christmas address to the Roman Curia — the Vatican’s central bureaucracy — where he warned that rigid ideological positions, even if motivated by good intentions, can “separate us from reality and prevent us from moving forward.”
