Pope criticized for allowing same-sex marriages
Pope criticized for allowing same-sex marriages
Irungu Nyakera, the chairperson of the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA), chastised Pope Francis on Sunday for his proclamation permitting Catholic priests to bless same-sex marriages.The leader of the Farmer’s Party questioned in a statement why a prominent ecclesiastical figure like Pope Francis would choose that path. But he refrained from criticizing the LGBTQ+ community, claiming that doing so would cause funders to stop supporting his political organization.
“I no longer speak much about LGBT issues because I don’t want my organization to lose its global funding. But these two men are pushing many Africans away from churches and back to their traditional settings,” Nyakera remarked in a statement.Asked by a follower why he was shying away from his freedom of speech due to funding, the KEMSA Chairperson stated that he wasn’t doing it for himself.
“I was more outspoken when I was only protecting my money. Now I also have to protect yours hence the caution,” he responded.His sentiment came after Pope Francis allowed the Catholic Priests to bless same-sex marriages.
“It is precisely in this context, that one can understand the possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples without officially validating their status or changing in any way the church’s perennial teaching on marriage.” the Head of Office on Doctrine, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández indicated in a declaration of the new rule.Catholic bishops in Kenya came out on Wednesday to issue a clarification claiming that the Pope did not allow priests and bishops to bless same-sex marriages.
The clergymen, led by Archbishop Martin Kivuva, Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), asserted that the Pope’s statement only applied to basic blessings that are not bestowed during a liturgy.According to Kivuva, the significance of Fiducia Supplicans lies in its unique and inventive contribution to the pastoral meaning of blessings, which enables a deeper and more comprehensive comprehension of the traditional idea of blessings.
Kenyans responded to the Pope’s statement in a variety of ways, both religiously and politically, which prompted the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops to provide an explanation.”We are aware that blessings can be bestowed upon children by parents frequently, even in our own African culture. This also holds true for Christian parents, who have the ability to bless their kids regardless of their own circumstances or conditions. The statement went on to say, “This is understood as a request to God to attend to them and their needs.
