There is growing turbulence in the world’s spiritual space. Since Pope Francis declared that the Church would henceforth bless same-sex couples, there have been gales of backlash. This is understandable; the Catholic Church enjoys an extensive recognition as the global symbol of organised religion. Hence, there is an unspoken concern that the Papal embrace of the LGBTQ community would change the balance of emotions on the touchy subject. This fear of the unknown has helped recruit many into the hate camp against the pontiff, with some calling him out as the ‘anti-Christ.’

But there is a contradiction here. The Pope is accused of being ‘satanic’ because he is determined to show love to fellow humans. To me, this depicts our level of evolution as human beings. We love machines and mute mammals, but fail to spare an ounce of affection for the creatures that matter the most – our neighbours. It is even worse for those of us who claim to practise Christianity. Day in, day out, we listen to, and memorise the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ while we never allow the spirit of the teachings to find a way into our stony hearts. For, how on earth could someone, after digesting the parable of the Good Samaritan, fail to juxtapose it with today’s detestation of same-sex couples?

Samaritans were perceived as inherently evil because they refused to worship ‘the true God’ of the Jews. They were anathema. So, Jesus Christ chose to use them as illustration because to his audience, the Samaritans represented the basest of creation and the worst of sinners. He later raised the tempo by demanding water from a loose Samaritan woman. It was unheard in those days.

I am convinced that sometime in the future, we shall look back at the folly of discriminating against gay citizens. As the cliché goes, change is the only thing that is permanent. In my short life on this earthly plane, I have witnessed how change happens. There was a time when the Catholic Church saw Pentecostal and Charismatic believers as demon-possessed. In my parish at Holy Ghost Cathedral, Enugu, the Parish Priest said he would rather resign from priesthood than allow those “gibberish speaking mad people” to set up fellowship. Lo and behold, it took just a single personal experience in his life for the priest to recant. He swallowed his prejudice, and not only agreed that indeed Almighty God could work through Charismatics, but invited them to start fellowship sessions in his church. It was a revolution.
Yet, someone could argue that it is not the same as accepting gay people. My answer to such naysayer is simple: It is exactly the same. In fact, if you looked at it carefully, it is easier to forgive a love-struck queer than someone you thought was a conduit for demonic manifestation.

Another example of how our society is given to change, is in the history of Christianity itself. There was a time Christian Jews refused to welcome non-Jews into their fold. Apostles Paul and Peter quarreled over this. It took God’s direct intervention through a personal supernatural encounter for Peter to accept that Gentiles (i.e. non-Jews) could be co-tenants in God’s mansion. The concept of a gentile knowing God was too strange for even the most liberal follower of Christ at that time. But look at where we are today.

The cynics’ next argument is that the Bible directly preaches against sex between same gender (Leviticus 20, Romans 1, and 1 Corinthians 6). The word of God expressly termed these practices as sin. They also support this position by asserting that Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed because of this. These arguments are valid, but in order not to miss the spirit of the Book, we must put it in context. The entire Bible is a story of “contact.” The human created by God is seeking to connect with his creator, and God at the end of the age reveals Himself to the human. This Creator would then take over the government of the earth, and make everything beautiful. But before that day comes, we are not able to fully understand His ways.


https://punchng.com/once-again-pope-francis-has-seen-the-future/

You say 🤔🤔

What the Pope should have done is ask the gay couple to go and repent, renounce your sinful way before blessing them. The best gift to give any sinner is salvation if his soul , because you can give any other blessings and he still go to hell. The issue of blessing the sinner and not the sin does not hold water.

It potends great danger and act compromise to Christianity which I think the pope should have known better.