Pope Francis said in an interview published this Monday (29) that Africans are a “special case” in the resistance of bishops and others on the continent to homosexuality.
He said he is confident that critics of his decision to allow blessings for samesex couples, with the exception of Africans, will eventually prevail.
Blessings were approved last month in a document called Fiducia Supplicans (Suppliant Trust), which sparked widespread debate in the Catholic Church and drew particularly strong opposition from African bishops.
“Those who protest vehemently belong to small ideological groups,” Francis told Italian newspaper La Stampa. “Africans are a special case: for them, culturally speaking, homosexuality is something 'bad' and they don't tolerate it.”
“But in general, I trust that little by little everyone will be convinced of the spirit of the Fiducia Supplicans declaration of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: it aims to include, not to divide,” the pope said.
Last week, Francis appeared to acknowledge the resistance the document has faced, particularly in Africa, where bishops have effectively rejected it and where in some countries homosexual relationships can lead to prison or even the death penalty.
He said that when giving a blessing, priests “of course need to take into account the context, the sensitivities, the places in which one lives and the most appropriate ways to do it.”
In the interview with La Stampa, Francis said he was not worried about the risk of conservatives turning away from the Catholic Church because of his reforms, saying talks about a split were always driven by “small groups.”
Turning to Israel and the Palestinians, the pope said that “true peace” between them will only come once a twostate solution is implemented, lamenting that the conflict is worsening.
Francis confirmed that he is scheduled to meet with the president of his native Argentina, Javier Milei, on February 11 and that there is a possibility of finally visiting the country where he has not returned since becoming pope in 2013.
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