Not in Kenyan church! CS Kuria opposes same sex unions

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has joined Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi Philip Anyolo in defying the Pope's directive on same sex unions.

In a statement on his X page, Kuria said the Roman Catholic Church in Kenya will not, under any circumstance, accept same sex couples.

Even in his stand, the CS expressed his respect to the Pope.

"The decision by Archbishop Anyolo on blessing of same sex couples is the position of all of us from the Roman Catholic Church in Kenyan," he wrote.

"We will never accept same sex couples in the Kenyan Church, with utmost and profound respect and reverence to the Pope."

On Monday, Pope Francis formally allowed Roman Catholic priests to bless same sex couples.

In the document approved by the Pope, it was directed that the blessings may be done as long as they are not part of regular church rituals and liturgies, nor at the same time as civil union.

"God never turns away anyone who approaches him! Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God," the document titled Fiducia Supplicans reads in part.

On Saturday however, in a bold step against the document, Archbishop Anyolo said any form of blessing of same sex unions and activities would go against God's word and the church teachings.

He went on to acknowledge that the document states and correctly affirms the traditional Catholic doctrine on marriage and family.

He noted that it also includes the Catholic church's disapproval of homosexual unions.

"This declaration confirms and reiterates the perennial teaching of the Church that marriage is to be affirmed as an exclusive, stable and indissoluble union of a man and a woman, naturally open to the generation of children and that the Church does not have the power to impart blessings on unions of persons of the same sex," he said.

The archbishop pointed out that the teaching of the church on marriage is not only rooted in scripture but also in the African cultural traditions.

In regard to the observations, Anyolo prohibited all clergy residing and ministering in the Archdiocese of Nairobi from blessing irregular relationships, unions, or same-sex couples.

"To make sure the fundamental doctrinal positions affirmed in the declaration and the perennial teachings of the Church on marriage, is upheld, all Clergy residing and ministering in the Archdiocese of Nairobi are prohibited from blessing irregular relationships, unions, same sex couples," Archbishop Anyolo said.