When it was officially announced that the French Ambassador for the rights of LGBT (Lesbians, Gay, Bisexuals and Transexuals), Mr Jean-Marc Berthon was going to visit Cameroon from Tuesday 27 June to Saturday 1 July 2023, the reactions of the vast
majority of Cameroonians were a very spontaneous and unanimous NO. And the Government cancelled it. While others may have had their reasons, L’Effort Camerounais, as the voice of the Church in Cameroon, has the moral obligation to clearly let the people know the official stand of the Catholic Church on Homosexuality.
Lesbians, Gay, Bisexuals and Transgender
Lesbians are women who are sexually in a relationship with other women. When a similar thing happens between two men, they are called Gay. Bisexuals are those who relate to both. Transgenders are those who have
transformed their identity and gender from the one with which they were born. The abbreviation LGBT is used very often today to replace a former and more popular
but apparently “negative” word- homosexuality.
According to CCC 2357, Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward
persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on secrete scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered’. They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.
Does the Catholic Church Condemn Homosexuals?
CCC 2358 on Chastity and homosexuality notes that the number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligeable. The inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfil God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unit to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
According to Pope Francis, “You can’t correct someone without love or charity. Charity is like an anaesthesia that facilitates care and accepts correction”
In CCC 2359, Homosexual persons are called to chastity.
By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should
gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
Africa and Homosexuality
In traditional Africa, homosexuality would have been considered a “cultural abomination” and treated as such. In our modern world which is more tolerant and sometimes too permissive, we have to live with the reality that there are some of our brothers and sisters, who have believed in this way of life. While they seek to be respected, they also owe their society the same respect especially when those with more tender consciences are concerned. They need to recognize that the society in which they were born and in which they now live, has cultural, human and moral values which are dear to each and all. In this way, we can all avoid conflict and misunderstanding. Freedom does not, and can never mean the licence to do as we like. One person’s freedom probably begins and ends where the others begin and ends; and we are all brothers and sisters to each other (Fratelli Tutti).