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VATICAN CITY. – With the Pope’s approval, African Catholic bishops will not carry out the extra-liturgical blessings proposed for same sex-couples in a declaration issued by the Vatican on what it calls irregular couples.
The president of the Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) cited “confusion” and a “risk of scandal” in a letter released on Thursday.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines scandal as “an attitude or behaviour which leads another to do evil.”
Beforehand, SECAM president, Congolese Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, met with Pope Francis to discuss the matter.
The Declaration Fiducia supplicans, published on December 18, opens the possibility of blessing couples whose relationship is not “valid” in the Catholic church, including unmarried couple, divorced-and-remarried couples and same-sex couples. Speaking to the faithful, Cardinal Ambongo pointed out that Fiducia supplicans emphasizes that “the Church’s doctrine on Christian marriage and sexuality remains unchanged.” – africanews.com
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter