Togo : Explanations from the Bishops for those who feel betrayed by the Pope
The document of Pope Francis’s Fiducia Supplicans Declaration does not pertain to the blessing of same-sex marriage ; it addresses those who have begun to bless same-sex marriages and have even established official blessing rites for them.
For the Conference of Bishops of Togo, this declaration is far from being an approval or sacramental validation of unions between people of the same sex. It is by no means a questioning of the Church’s teachings on marriage.
Indeed, among the many questions submitted to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, there was this one : can ministers of God give blessings to everyone, regardless of their state ? The answer to this fundamental question inspired the title given to the document : « Declaration on the Pastoral Significance of Blessings ».
According to the clarification from the Conference of Bishops of Togo, signed on December 20, 2023, the Church has always given ordinary non-liturgical blessings to anyone who requests them. However, care must be taken to ensure that these blessings are not interpreted as a liturgical or semi-liturgical act, similar to a sacrament.
The Togo Prelates referred to the Bible for further clarification.
According to the Bible and the teachings of the Church, homosexuality, which refers to relationships between men or women who experience a sexual attraction, exclusive or predominant, to persons of the same sex, is presented as a serious depravity, intrinsically disordered.
Because it is contrary to natural law and closes the sexual act to the gift of life, it cannot receive approval under any circumstances. Regarding the blessing of homosexual couples, the Bishops of Togo recommend that priests refrain from it.
