The Pope claims that African bishops are against blessing 'gays' because of cultural beliefs

 The Pope made the comments during an interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa in response to widespread criticism against his approval of a Vatican document allowing the blessing of same-sex couples living at home. The declaration called 'Fiducia Supplicans', published last month, opens up the possibility of blessing those called 'couples' whose relationship is not "valid" in the Catholic Church, including unmarried people, divorced and remarried people, and same-sex couples living at home. . Earlier this month, the Conference of Bishops' Councils of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) - the continent's Catholic bishops' association - condemned the Pope's decision saying it was "inappropriate". Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo SECAM President Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo said in a statement that allowing such a tradition could cause "confusion" and "directly contradict" the cultural values ​​of African societies. However, in an interview with La Stampa, Pope Francis said, except for Africans who are a special case, those who oppose his decision will eventually understand it. The leader of the Catholic Church has claimed that the decision to give blessings to same-sex people living at home is not intended to approve a life that can be sinful, but is for individuals who want to be close to God. Physical interaction between people of the same sex identified as 'homosexuals', involving lewd and lascivious acts, is still recognized as an evil and a crime in many African countries, including Uganda, where same-sex intercourse can lead to convictions ranging from life imprisonment or even the death penalty.../