An association of Christian lawyers has threatened to sue the Lesotho Roman Catholic Church if it blesses same-sex marriages. The Christian Advocates and Ambassadors Association (CAAA)’s warning comes after Pope Francis’ monumental decision, in December, to allow his priests worldwide to bless sex couples.
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The decision is a radical shift in the church’s policy on gay marriages.
The new position however does not put gay marriages at par with heterosexual partnerships.
Pope Francis suggested that blessings to gay unions could be offered under some circumstances that are not to be confused with the ritual of marriage.
The “blessings”, according to a document from the church’s doctrine office, should not be tied to any specific Catholic religious services, rituals, clothing and gestures involved in a wedding.
It’s a compromise that doesn’t go as far as wholly embracing same-sex marriages but the CAAA is not standing for it.
In a letter this week, CAAA leader Advocate Fusi Sehapi warned the Lesotho Roman Catholic Church that the Lesotho law does not allow same-sex marriages.
“We humbly urge the great Roman Catholic Church to refrain from blessing same-sex marriages and/or same-sex unions as the church couches it,” Advocate Sehapi said in the letter.
“Otherwise, we shall have no alternative but to approach courts for appropriate relief.”
The CAAA said the general Catholics’ defence of Pope Francis’ statement that the church “cannot bless same-sex marriages but will bless gay/lesbian couples as children of God” is untenable.
The association said claiming that the church will not permit gay or lesbian marriages but will approve their union “is just an inventive way of not only doing but also approving evil”.
“It is also to approve what the laws of this country disapprove.”
The association has also accused the church of converting “God’s curse which attracts God’s penalty into an adorable blessing”.
The CAAA said the Bible is very clear that having unnatural feelings for the same sex can be a curse.
“Approving such acts will amount to excising a depraved mind to do what is not to be done,” the letter reads.
It said the blessing of the marriages would be exchanging truth for lie, wisdom for foolishness, good for evil, and light for darkness.
“Sex between people of the same sex will achieve nothing other than degrading their temples/bodies,” it reads.
“Since the same-sex marriages cannot be blessed directly it is also prohibited indirectly.”
The association also said since same-sex marriages cannot be blessed directly they also cannot be indirectly approved.
“A legal right or entitlement cannot arise from an unlawful act.”
“There is no freedom of sexual orientation under the constitution of Lesotho, therefore, blessing same-sex marriage unions by any Roman Catholic (priest) is heresy and constitutes a moral civil and criminal wrong,” the CAAA said.
“Should any minister of religion bless any same-sex marriage despite our warnings the law shall be set in motion civilly and criminally against such a minister.”
Nkheli Liphoto
