Homosexuality should not be criminalised – Catholic Church in Ghana affirms

The Catholic Church in Ghana has thrown its weight behind remarks made by Cardinal Peter Turkson on Ghana’s Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill (anti-LGBTQI bill) and LGBTQI activities in the country.

According to the Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference, the cardinal’s stance that Ghana should not criminalise homosexuality, as the anti-LGBTQI bill in its current forms seeks to do, has been the position of the church and has not changed.

Speaking in an interview on TV3 on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, the Bishop of the Archdiocese of Sunyani and President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi, said that though the church does not condone LGBTQI activities, it also does not support it being considered a crime.

He explained that even though homosexual activities are considered as a sin by the church, they do not rise to the level of being a crime.

“That has always been the stance of the Catholic Church, that we should not criminalise homosexuality and homosexuals.

"It may be a moral aberration but does not rise to the level where homosexuals, lesbians and gays are considered as criminals. That is the position of the Catholic Church and that has been the position of the Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference," the bishop said.

Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi also clarified that what the church has been fighting for is that homosexuality should not be legalised in Ghana to become a norm because all the religions in Ghana and the culture of Africans appals these activities.

“The church does not accept that, Muslims do not accept that, Africans do not accept that. So, it should not be legalised for it to become a norm as part of our culture, that is different from saying it is a crime,” he explained.

He also refuted the assertion that the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has said that the church would bless same-sex marriage.

He said that the pope was only saying that LGBQT persons should be treated with love and not hatred; adding that the church would never bless same sex marriage.

What Cardinal Turkson said.

In the interview on BBC’s HARDtalk programme, Cardinal Turkson stated that his position on Ghana’s anti-LGBTQI bill, which has never changed, is that homosexuality is not a crime and therefore should not be criminalised as the bill seeks to do.

He noted that for something to be criminalised, there has to be an element of a crime – it must be an offence against somebody.

"LGBT people may not be criminalised because they've committed no crime… It's time to begin education, to help people understand what this reality, this phenomenon is. We need a lot of education to get people to... make a distinction between what is crime and what is not crime," the cardinal explained.

This section of his interview is what many people are hammering on, leaving the other important points he made including the church's stands on same-sex marriage and attempts by the West to force Ghana to accept LGBTQI activities.

Cardinal Peter Turkson stated categorically that the Catholic Church considers same-sex relationships "objectively sinful" and would not recognise same-sex marriage.

He also pointed out that the perception that Western countries are forcing Ghana to accept LGBTQI activities by tying them to aid and trade agreements is what forced Ghana's Parliament to consider a legislation against LGBTI activities.

Watch Rev Gyamfi's remarks in the videos below:

LGBTQ+: Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi, Bishop of Sunyani & President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, has backed calls made by Cardinal Peter Turkson and stated that the stance of the Catholic Church in Ghana is that "we should not criminalise homosexuality and homosexuals" pic.twitter.com/LHiJGUQIK4

— Rightify Ghana (@RightifyGhana) November 28, 2023

He emphasised that "it may be a moral aberration but does not rise rise to the level where homosexuals, lesbians and gays can be considered as criminals."

In an interview with TV3 News 360 yesterday, the Bishop stated that homosexuality should not be legalised to become a norm.. pic.twitter.com/MRN4A9bMeX

— Rightify Ghana (@RightifyGhana) November 28, 2023