Pope using LGBT to divide African church: Ugandan pastor

POPE Francis is attempting to force homosexuality on the Catholic Church in Africa, which could lead to major divisions in the institution, Ugandan pastor Martin Ssempa has told RT in an exclusive interview.

The pontiff stated to Italian newspaper La Stampa this week, that Africans view homosexuality as “bad” from a cultural point of view, and claimed that the continent is a “special case” when it comes to LGBTQ blessings.

“But in general, I trust that gradually everyone will be reassured by the spirit of the ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ declaration by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: it aims to include, not divide,” the Pope added.

The pontiff was referring to the ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ declaration, published last month, which makes it possible for couples who are not “valid” in the Catholic Church — such as unmarried, divorced-and-remarried, or homosexual — to be blessed, but without any ritualisation or “offering the impression of a marriage”.

Ssempa, who is a pro-family activist and founder of Straight Nation, an organisation dedicated to protecting and promoting African culture and faith, compared what is happening in Africa to the Church of England.

He said the clergy there spent years “going back and forth” on the issue of same-sex marriage blessings, supposedly in the hope that people would tire of the issue.

“I think that’s what Pope Francis is doing,” Ssempa claimed.

Nonetheless, Africans will reject any efforts by the pontiff to allow something “unbiblical”, the pastor insisted, adding “we see this as apostasy”.

He argued that it was not the African church that needs to change, but rather the attitude of the Pope, accusing him of trying to divide and dominate, as well as impose homosexuality on religion.

African nations “will in no way consider blessing homosexuals, because that would be a violation of the bible, of the word of God,” Ssempa concluded.

Earlier in January, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) responded to the Fiducia Supplicans declaration by arguing that it would cause “confusion” and would be in “direct contradiction” with the cultural values of African communities.

Meanwhile, many African countries can impose the death penalty or life imprisonment as possible punishments for same-sex activities.

That includes Uganda, where homosexuality remains heavily criminalised.