The Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Cameroon have issued a firm resolution forbidding priests from blessing same-sex couples.
The nine-point document, signed by Mgr Andrew Nkea, President of the Cameroon Episcopal Conference on December 21, condemns homosexuality as harmful to humanity and challenges the recent stance taken by Pope Francis.
The Bishops categorically stated, “Consequently, we formally forbid all blessings of ‘homosexual couples’ in the Church of Cameroon.”
The Cameroon bishops’ release is a noteworthy contradiction to a papal decree on Monday, December 19, that permitted priests to bless homosexual couples.
The document emphasised the Church’s commitment to praying for the conversion of all sinners, including homosexuals, while condemning the act as contrary to nature and God’s teachings.
“Homosexuality falsifies and corrupts human anthropology and trivialises sexuality, marriage, and the family, the foundations of society,” the Cameroon Bishops declared.
They argued that, in African culture, homosexuality contradicts family and social values, constituting a violation of the heritage passed down by ancestors.
The bishops further expressed concern that the practice could lead to societal decay rather than evolution.
The document unequivocally stated, “Homosexuality is not a human right. It is an alienation that seriously harms humanity because it is not based on any value proper to the human being: it is a dehumanisation of love, ‘an abomination’ (Lev, 18, 22).”
The Bishops rejected the idea that refusing to bless same-sex couples is discriminatory, asserting that it is a legitimate protection of constant human values against a practice seeking legal recognition and blessings.
In Monday’s decree, Pope Francis permitted priests to bless same-sex couples, provided it was not part of a regular church ritual.
The papal release underscored that such blessings do not legitimise same-sex relationships and reaffirmed the Church’s stance against allowing same-sex couples to contract marriage, considering it a sacrament.
Since ascending to the Papacy in 2013, Pope Francis has taken steps to make the Catholic Church more inclusive of LGBTQ individuals.
In August of this year, he emphasised the Church’s openness while acknowledging the existence of internal regulations.
However, the recent decision by Cameroon bishops presents a stark contrast, illustrating the Cameroon Church’s resistance to accepting homosexuality.
In November, Archbishop Andrew Nkea, after attending the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome, staunchly opposed homosexuality, describing it as ‘witchcraft’.
