
Pope Francis has said that African culture is making people on the continent intolerant of blessings for same-sex couples.
The pope also expressed confidence that those who criticised his decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples would come to understand it over time, except for Africans, whom he referred to as a “special case.”
In an interview published by Italian newspaper, La Stampa, on Monday, Pope Francis stated that Africans perceived homosexuality negatively from a cultural perspective.
“Those who protest vehemently belong to small ideological groups. A special case is Africans: for them, homosexuality is something bad from a cultural point of view, they don’t tolerate it,” he said when asked about the controversy trailing blessings for same-sex couples.
“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,” he added.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria announced that Catholic churches within the country would not perform blessings for same-sex unions.
“That would go against God’s law, the teachings of the Church, the laws of our nation, and the cultural sensibilities of our people,” they said in a statement.