Pope Francis has said in an interview on Monday, January 29 that Africans were a “special case” when it comes to homosexuality and blessing of same-sex marriage.
In a document called the Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust), the Pope announced the blessing of same-sex marriage in December last year.
This caused widespread controversies and opposition mainly from African Catholic churches.
But speaking to an Italian newspaper, La Stampa, the 87-year-old expressed confidence that critics of his decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples would eventually understand it except for Africans whom he said “do not tolerate it.”
“Those who protest vehemently belong to small ideological groups. A special case are Africans: for them homosexuality is something ‘bad’ from a cultural point of view, they don’t tolerate it”.
“But in general, I trust that gradually everyone will be reassured by the spirit of the ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ declaration by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: it aims to include, not divide,” Pope Francis told La Stampa.
Pope Francis acknowledged the pushback the document received when the announcement for blessing of same-sex marriage was made considering the fact that in some countries the act could lead to death penalty or imprisonment.
He advised that when blessing are given, priests should “naturally take into account the context, the sensitivities, the places where one lives and the most appropriate ways to do it”.
Addressing concerns about a potential breakaway by conservatives within the Catholic Church due to his reforms, Pope Francis said he was not concerned about such a risk because schism always begin with “small groups” stating “We must leave them to it and move on…and look forward.”