Vatican should not underestimate the sensibilities of its global congregations – Most Rev. Afrifah-Agyekum

The Catholic Archbishop of Koforidua says the Catholic Church ought to take into consideration the sensibilities of its congregation across the world when publishing certain pronouncements.

He was referring to the recent publication from the Vatican concerning the Pope’s formal approval allowing priests to bless same-sex couples.

According to the Pope, “One should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing,” and that people seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subject to “an exhaustive moral analysis” to receive it.

But the shift in policy doesn’t change the church’s position on marriage, as the church insists the sacrament of marriage can only occur between a man and a woman.

However, the Vatican’s document has been misconstrued with some suggesting it to mean that Catholic priests can now bless same-sex marriages.

Reacting to the suggestion on Joy FM’s Newsfile, Most Reverend Joseph Kwaku Afrifah-Agyekum said it is merely a misrepresentation of the Vatican document.

He noted that much of the uproar has been due to the contentious nature of LGBT rights particularly across the African continent and the world at large.

He said most countries do not embrace homosexuals and thus such pronouncements, while harmless, do offend the cultural and social sensibilities of some people.

Citing examples in Ghana, he said, “Some places, they will slaughter a goat or a sheep and pour the blood on you. That is their tradition. Not too long in Nkoranza, I read something about it.”

According to him, in the future the Vatican should not underestimate the sensibilities of its global congregation and should rather craft messages that are easily understood across board.

He reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s position that while the church does not despise homosexuals, it will not endorse same-sex marriages.

“When they ask for a blessing, why not? I cannot refuse that one but it should not be taken that the priest came here or we met him and he imparted the blessing on us and so we are now married in the sense that, it’s now become a sacrament. That is not the mind of the church.”

According to him, the church is called upon to engage individuals who identify as homosexuals in an understanding manner with the goal of guiding them towards growth and change.

 “Just as Jesus handled the prostitutes and people who were pageants. He went to the so-called sinners. We have to be with them. The Holy Father has said that we should also smell like the sheep and so smelling like the sheep doesn’t mean that you are accepting the sin.”

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