Nigeria bishop: Same-sex marriage against human dignity

(Vatican Radio) Commitment to faith and intense prayer were the key words of Bishop Camillus Etokudoh of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, as he addressed the Catholic faithful and told them to beware of social vices that negatively affect family and cultural values.

Bishop Camillus was speaking during the homily last week at the ordination of 8 new priests at Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

According to the bishop, spiritual and moral values are being sacrificed in the name of scientific or societal development. With this perspective, he criticized same-sex marriage, and said that it represented the debasement of human dignity and aberration of societal values.

On the other hand, he claimed that “culturally and spiritually”, marriage is a union between a man and a woman, a truth ordained by God, and because it is a divine order, different sex marriage will always prevail.

To protect human dignity, Bishop Camillus therefore appealed to the religious to stay loyal to their faith, and embrace sacraments such as penance and reconciliation, in order to assure peaceful development, equity and justice, as well as a peaceful coexistence for all people despite their race, religion or ethnicity.