The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama, has dismissed as untrue, reports that the Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis, approved blessings for same-sex marriages.
He made the clarification in his homily during the Christmas Mass at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Catholic Pro-Cathedral in Abuja, on Monday.
Kaigama pointed out that the report was a mischievous disinformation and a deliberately orchestrated falsehood by the enemies of the Catholic Church to confuse its members.
The cleric said: “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 is 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 urged Christians not to despair or allow their faith to be shaken by the wanton attacks against the Church by its enemies.
On insecurity across the country, Kaigama urged Christians to remain steadfast in their faith and prayers, expressing optimism that the challenge would become a thing of the past.
The cleric appealed to criminals, especially the kidnappers of Catholic priests across the country to desist from the act to avoid the wrath of God.