Archbishop of Canterbury Asks Churches to Respect LGBT While Problems Remain in Other Countries

In a public letter addressed to all Primates of the Anglican Communion and the presidents of Nigeria and Uganda, Archbishop of Canterbury Joseph Welby called for “pastoral care for all” regardless of a person’s sexual orientation. This letter, co-authored by the Archbishop of York, comes not long before Welby is to spend five days in Africa visiting leaders in South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The letter goes on to state that ““the victimisation or diminishment of human beings whose affections happen to be ordered towards people of the same sex is anathema to us. We assure homosexual people that they are children of God, loved and valued by Him.” However, with recent laws passed in Nigeria to criminalize homosexual behavior, the Archbishop’s words may not be falling on the most receptive of ears.

In other church news, Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, asked the upper house of the Russian Parliament to ban same sex unions. Kirill advocates for this position regardless of whether the union is religiously blessed or entirely secular, stating that his opposition is not religious but moral.

On a positive note, a group called No More Triangle Nations is reaching out to Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church, urging the Pope to condemn laws in Nigeria, Russia, Uganda, India, and Jamaica that limit the human rights of people based on their sexual orientations. They urge people to use social media to help make their voices heard. For more information on how to get involved, please visit the No More Triangle Nations website.

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