Bishops rebuff Pope Francis
The Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) says it will not offer blessings of “any kind and for same-sex unions of any kind” in the country contrary to Pope Francis’ approval for the same.
In a statement jointly signed by the bishops led by ECM president Archbishop George Desmond Tambala of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, the local bishops said their decision is meant “to avoid creating confusion among the faithful”.
Through a doctrinal declaration that the Vatican released on Sunday, the Pope approved same-sex could be “blessed, but without any type of ritualisation or offering the impression of a marriage”.
But the Vatican declaration said when a couple in an irregular situation or same-sex couples asks for a blessing, it “should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union”.
However, ECM said the declaration has led to “erroneous” interpretations, generating interest, fears and worries among Catholics and people that are up to the church for moral, spiritual and doctrinal guidance.
Reads the ECM statement: “The declaration is not about the blessing of same sex unions and sacramental endorsement of the same as married couples, no.
“This is a document prompted by questions to the congregation of the Doctrine of Faith regarding whether or not the blessings of God through His Ministers can be extended to everybody regardless of their state… not on the blessing of same sex unions.”
The conference added that the declaration that the Pope approved was in the context of ordinary blessings whose recipients can be any people, objects of worship and devotion, sacred images, places of work and fruits.
“The teaching of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church on Marriage remains the one indicated in paragraph an exclusive, stable and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to the generation of children,” the ECM statement added.
In the Vatican declaration, the church also stressed marriage does not change and that blessing such couples does not signify approval of the union of marriage.
“The ordained minister could ask that the individuals have peace, health, a spirit of patience, dialogue, and mutual assistance, but also God’s light and strength to be able to fulfill his will completely,” the declaration reads.
On July 13 2023 religious leaders in Lilongwe, including Archbishop Tambala led thousands of people in a march against legalising homosexuality in Malawi.
In his speech when submitting a petition to Parliament, the archbishop said: “We will continue monitoring to make sure that what we have submitted here is adhered to.”
But Minister of Information and Digitisation Moses Kunkuyu at the time assured the public that there was no discussion at any level of the government to change the existing law that bars same sex marriages in the country.
The protest followed a constitutional referral matter of 2021 involving a Dutch national Jan Willem Akatar and a transgender woman Jana Gonani who were challenging the banning of same sex marriages in the country.
There are over 1.3 billion Catholics and according to ECM, 25 percent of Malawi’s population is Catholic.
