Gays In Nigeria Need Salvation Not Punishment Or Jail – Catholic Bishops

The Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) reminded that they maintain their earlier position that gays and lesbians do not deserve severe punishment or jail term.

Moreover, Chris Anyanwu, the group’s director of social communication, in an article titled “Still on Same-Sex Union and the Stand of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria”, urged the mass media in Nigeria and other individuals to stop misinterpreting the CBCN’s stance regarding same sex marriage in the country.

“There is certainly an obsession by some journalists about ‘severe punishment of gays or lesbians’ and they try to twist the Bishops’ statements to articulate their views.

“Nigerian Catholic bishops are very responsible pastors who do not seek the punishment or jailing of persons who err, but to help them unto salvation,” Reverend Father Anyanwu said.

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He said that in January 2015 the president of the CBCN, Ignatius Kaigama, wrote a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan that was misiterpreted by some international organizations as they “mischievously reduced the CBCN position to advocating severe punishment of gays or lesbians with long prison terms”.

“What the CBCN supported, blessed and commended in their letter of 21st January, 2015 to former President Goodluck Jonathan was because the Nigerian government upheld the dignity and sanctity of marriage even in the face of all sorts of pressure.

“When therefore the federal government resisted the attempt to impose this culture on Nigerians by legislating against “same-sex union”, the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria felt a sense of great relief and issued a statement to affirm government’s decision,” he noted.

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The reverend father also said the Archbishop Kaigama could never have used words as: “shameful”, “barbaric”, “madness”, etc. to refer to anyone.

“Our stand was and is ‘no to same sex union’ and ‘no to spreading of the homosexual culture’ which can only complicate our struggle to uphold traditional/ religious/moral values in our country,” he said.

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