Catholic Bishops in Ghana have backed controversial comments by Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson to the effect that “it’s time to understand homosexuality.”
According to the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi, the Catholic Church has consistently held the position that while homosexuality may be considered a moral issue, it does not warrant criminalization.
This comes on the heels of claims by Cardinal Turkson that instead of criminalizing homosexuality, there should be efforts to educate the public and foster a better understanding of the matter.
“LGBT people may not be criminalised because they’ve committed no crime”.
“It’s time to begin education, to help people understand what this reality, this phenomenon is. We need a lot of education to get people to… make a distinction between what is crime and what is not crime,” he went on to say.
Those comments have since generated huge controversy among the general populace including the Ghanaian Catholic community.
But speaking to Accra-based TV3, Bishop Gyamfi clarified that the Cardinal’s position aligns with the longstanding stance of the Catholic Church.
“It may be a moral issue but does not rise to the level were homosexuals, lesbians and gays are considered criminals. That is the position of the Catholic Church. That has been the position of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference. So he is not stating something new,” he said.
Bishop Gyamfi made a distinction between criminalizing an act, which implies punishment, and expressing opposition to its legalization. He reiterated that the Catholic Church’s position is that homosexuality should not be permitted, emphasizing the moral aspect rather than a criminal one.
“To be a crime means it is punishable. Like someone committing murder. It will be included in the list of crimes in Ghana. That is not what we are saying. We are saying it should not be permitted,” Bishop Gyamfi said.
Responding to reports suggesting that Pope Francis may support the blessing of same-sex couples, Bishop Gyamfi disputed such claims. He clarified that while the Pope encourages kindness towards homosexuals and rejects their exclusion from society, there is no indication that he has endorsed the blessing of same-sex marriages.
“The Pope has not said that. That is what people are saying in respect to statements he might have made that we should be kind towards homosexuals. We should not treat them as if they are some strange beings. We should not say that they should be excluded in society etc. But to say that we are going ahead to bless homosexuals marriages, I don’t think the holy Father has said that.”
It will be recalled that the Bishops, in their recent Plenary Assembly in Sunyani, called for expedited action on the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill of 2021.
“We wish to thank Parliament for the work done so far on the bill, particularly the commitment of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin to ensure the successful passing of the bill. We urge that they expedite action on the passage, and we call on the President to assent to the Bill as soon as it is passed by Parliament,” the Bishops said in their November 2023 communique.
The anti-gay bill seeks to impose a three-year prison sentence on individuals identifying as LGBT, with those advocating for LGBT rights potentially facing up to 10 years in prison.
Source:newsalertgh