Posted on 03/18/2023 7:36:15 PM PDT by marshmallow
Francis came out against the criminalization of homosexuality before and after his recent trip to Africa, but bishops on the continent say that's just the pope's opinion, not Church teaching
Just days before embarking on a pastoral visit earlier this year to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, Pope Francis surprised some Catholics in Africa by saying homosexuality should not be treated as a crime.
"The criminalization of homosexuality is an issue that must not be disregarded," the pope repeated to journalists on February 5 while flying back to Rome from the visit to the two African countries. He had earlier told the Associated Press that "to condemn a (homosexual) person like this is a sin".
It appeared as a break with the Holy See's position on the issue. Just 15 years ago, in 2008, the Vatican opposed a United Nations text aimed at fighting discrimination against homosexuality in the world.
Because Francis made the statements before and immediately after his trip to Africa, it is difficult not to see them as a message to the continent. Homosexuality is still a crime in 32 of the 54 African countries. In other words, almost half of the 69 states worldwide that repress homosexuality are in Africa.
In these countries, the law provides for sanctions or judges pronounce sentences against homosexual people, men or women. Homosexuality is even punishable by death in three African countries: Nigeria, Mauritania and Somalia.
(Excerpt) Read more at international.la-croix.com ...
Ping
Hurts them more-they got magnums.
Can we criminalize Marxist Popes?
butt sniffers are a threat to the health of society.
Wasn’t he just condemning cultural imperialism?
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