The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama, has stated that media reports indicating that Pope Francis, the Catholic Pontiff, had granted blessings for same-sex couples were false.
Kaigama made the clarification during his homily at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Catholic Pro-Cathedral in Abuja during the Christmas season.
According to Kaigama, the viral rumor is a malicious deception that is part of a well coordinated untruth by the Catholic Church’s enemies in order to generate confusion among its adherents.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Pope did not and will never approve blessings for any intending same-sex couples because the position of the Church on this is very clear and has not changed.
“I am the representative of the Pope here, so if there’s any such approval or directive, I’ll be the first to know and relay the message to the brethren.
“The media reports on this issue are the handiwork of the enemies of the Church, who have been busy spending millions of dollars to bring down the Church, but to no avail because they cannot succeed,” he stated.
He exhorted Christians not to despair or allow their faith to be shaken by the church’s opponents’ indiscriminate attacks, stressing that evil can never triumph over good, just as darkness cannot overcome light.
Speaking about the country’s instability, Kaigama advised Christians to remain firm in their faith and prayers, emphasizing that the problem will soon be forgotten.
The cleric urged the perpetrators of crime, particularly the ongoing kidnapping of Catholic priests around the country, to stop in order to avert God’s wrath.
He also prayed for the success of Nigeria and its leaders and encouraged the Federal Government to strengthen security measures in order to halt the tide of criminality in the country and bring the outlaws to justice.
According to Kaigama, Christmas represents a season of peace, love, caring, change, and new birth in the lives of all Christians, who must strive to resemble Christ by adhering to the aforementioned principles.
