- The bishops reiterated that the Catholic Church’s teachings on marriage remain unchanged
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has emphasized that blessing same-sex marriage contradicts God’s law.
In response to the controversy following Pope Francis’ directive allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples, the Nigerian bishops underscored that such blessings are against the teachings of the Church, the laws of the country, and the cultural values upheld by Nigerians.
This stance was conveyed in a statement released to the press on Thursday in Ibadan, signed by CBCN President Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji, Secretary Most Rev. Donatus Ogun, and other executives.
The bishops reiterated that the Catholic Church’s teachings on marriage remain unchanged.
“There is, therefore, no possibility in the Church of blessing same-sex unions and activities; that will go against God’s law, the teachings of the church, the laws of our nation and the cultural sensibilities of our people.
“We thank all the priests for their accompaniment of married couples, asking them to continue in all they do to sustain the sacrament of Holy Matrimony and never to do anything that will detract from the sacredness of this sacrament,” the Nigerian Catholic Bishops said.