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Again, Nigerian bishops disagree with Pope Francis on blessing same-sex couples

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Catholic Bishops in Nigeria have reiterated their disapproval with the position of Pope Francis on the blessing of same-sex couples.

As part of reforms to make the Catholic Church more welcoming to all persons, Pope Francis permitted priests to look kindly on queer couples seeking favours from God.

The Vatican, however, clarified that “such blessings should not be conducted with any church rites that offer the impression of a marriage”.

However, many of the Pope’s flocks, mostly African bishops, kicked against his directive.

In a speech on Sunday, Lucius Ugorji, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), said declarations from the Holy See should encourage unity and communion on matters of doctrine, morals and liturgy as opposed to what the Fiducia Supplicans did.

Ugorji spoke at the formal opening of the 2024 first plenary assembly of the CBCN at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

According to the reverend father, the Fiducia Supplicans hurt the unity and catholicity of the Church.

“We must sincerely admit that the declaration, Fiducia Supplicans (on the pastoral meaning of blessings), issued on 18th December, 2023, by the dicastery for the doctrine of the faith, has added to our pains,” Ugorji said.

“In the midst of this confusion and pushback, we must, as pastors with the pastoral task of safeguarding the deposit of faith in its purity and integrity, uphold the teaching of the church based on Holy Scripture and tradition.

“We shouldn’t be conformed to this world but be transformed by renewing your minds, so we may discern what the will of God is, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

“We must continue to teach our faithful that there is no possibility of blessing same-sex couples or same-sex unions in the church in Africa.”

Ugorji described homosexual acts as “intrinsically disordered and, above all, contrary to natural law”.

“In furtherance of our pastoral and prophetic mission, we must also continue to stress that God loves the sinner unconditionally and calls him to repentance so that he might live,” he added.

Ignatius Kaigama, Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, said synodality — which entails holding open discussions at all levels in the church for future decisions — “resonates with our African culture because we always do things together as a family and we consult the members of the family to take collective decisions, based on the African principle”.

“We have a duty to listen to the rest of the universal church, just as our African culture, ethics and morality have much to offer to our universal family, the Church,” Kaigama added.

In an interview last month, the pope said Africans are a special case when it comes to accepting queer couples because of their culture, adding that they would eventually come around.

Francis also said he was not concerned about a split in the church over the development, saying “you have to let them go and pass… and look ahead”.

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You return to square one if you don’t pay tithe, says Becky Enenche

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Becky Enenche, the wife of Paul Enenche, senior pastor of Dunamis International gospel Centre (DIGC), has stressed the significance of consistent tithe payment.

In an undated video circulating on social media, Becky advised Christians to constantly pay their tithe, which she refers to as “returning God’s portion”.

The clergywoman also warned that whenever a Christian fails to pay their tithe, they go “back to square one”.

Enenche also likened tithe defaulters to someone who typed a long text and mistakenly pressed the delete button.

“Paying your tithe, paying your tithe, returning God’s portion must be done consistently. Every time you miss your tithe, you go back to square one. The ones you did before become nullified,” she said.

“It is like you pressed a delete button, gbam. And all the work you did before is gone. Have you ever been typing and somebody entered the room or something mistakenly? You have typed enough text.

“The content of what you’ve typed is sufficient and you are not saving as you were typing and suddenly you press delete. You can imagine how that feels. Now what more of such a thing as your tithe.”

https://twitter.com/ChuksEricE/status/1857865926068019309?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1857865926068019309%7Ctwgr%5Ea0fe21df47634feab7fb9aa5a8c6079c7dfff01d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flifestyle.thecable.ng%2Ftrending-video-you-return-to-square-one-if-you-dont-pay-tithe-says-becky-enenche%2F

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Archbishop of Canterbury resigns over child abuse allegations linked to Church of England

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Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has resigned following the publication of the Makin Review, which exposed the Church of England’s mishandling of historic abuse allegations involving John Smyth.

In a heartfelt statement on Tuesday, Welby acknowledged the extent of the church’s failures in responding to the abuse and expressed regret over the delayed response to survivors of Smyth’s crimes.

Welby stressed the importance of institutional responsibility and expressed sorrow for the victims and survivors of abuse, emphasising his commitment to creating a safer environment within the church.

“The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth,” Welby said.

“When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow.

“It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.

“It is my duty to honour my Constitutional and church responsibilities, so exact timings will be decided once a review of necessary obligations has been completed, including those in England and in the Anglican Communion.

“I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church.”

Welby noted his efforts to implement improvements in safeguarding over the last twelve years.

“The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England,” he said.

“For nearly twelve years I have struggled to introduce improvements. It is for others to judge what has been done.”

Welby expressed his commitment to his faith, stating that stepping aside was “in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honoured to serve”.

“My deepest commitment is to the person of Jesus Christ, my saviour and my God; the bearer of the sins and burdens of the world, and the hope of every person,” he added.

Welby said he would continue his work with victims of abuse, delegating his other responsibilities until a proper risk assessment process is completed.

He also requested prayers for his family, who have been a constant source of support during his ministry.

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Archbishop of Canterbury asked to resign over child abuse allegations linked to Church of England

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Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has been asked to resign over his failure to rigorously follow up on reports of child abuse linked to the Church of England.

On Thursday, a report revealed that “horrific” and violent abuse of more than 100 children and young men by John Smyth QC, a British barrister, was covered up within the Church of England for decades.

The report followed an independent review by the archbishops’ council of the Church of England.

Smyth QC, who died aged 77 in Cape Town in 2018, was accused of attacking boys at his home in Winchester who he had met at a Christian summer camp in Dorset during the 1970s and 1980s.

He was said to have carried out lashings with a garden cane in his shed with eight boys receiving a total of 14,000 lashes, while two more received 8,000 strokes between them over three years.

Smyth QC is believed to be the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church of England.

The report said Welby did not follow up rigorously enough on reports of Smyth QC’s “abhorrent” abuse, adding that he “could and should” have reported the case to authorities when details were presented to him in 2013.

It also said he might have been brought to justice for decades of abuse before his death in 2018 had he been formally reported to authorities in 2013.

Three members of the Church’s parliament – the general synod – have started a petition calling for Welby to resign over his “failures” to report Smyth’s abuse

Helen-Ann Hartley, bishop of Newcastle, has also called for his resignation.

She is the most senior member of the Church to call on Welby to step down.

Hartley said it would be hard for the Church to “continue to have a moral voice” when “we cannot get our own house in order with regard to something as critically important”.

“It’s very hard to find the words to respond adequately to what the report tells us,” Bishop Hartley told the BBC.

“I think rightly people are asking the question ‘Can we really trust the Church of England to keep us safe?’ And I think the answer at the moment is ‘no’.”

She said while Welby’s resignation would not “solve the safeguarding problem,” it would “be a very clear indication that a line has been drawn, and that we must move towards independence of safeguarding”.

In a statement, Welby said he was “deeply sorry that this abuse happened” and “sorry that concealment by many people who were fully aware of the abuse over many years meant that John Smyth was able to abuse overseas and died before he ever faced justice”.

“I had no idea or suspicion of this abuse before 2013,” he said.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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