In Africa, Pope Francis to find a church growing in numbers

While it’s a jarring message at the start of the holiday season, it wasn’t out of the ordinary for Francis. Homosexual sex is illegal in many of African countries and discrimination against homosexuals is prevalent through the continent.

Pope Francis has high hopes for the end of war, and has been praised many times for his gestures toward peace.

Joanne Banura, a devout Catholic, says she approves of the pope’s stance. “So, a message aimed at reaching the ordinary Catholic person and changing the mind of that person to view gay and lesbian person as any other Ugandan and saying all the gay and lesbian people need is to be treated like any other children of God”, said Mugisha. “He’s representing the image of Jesus Christ on Earth. For all of us are God’s children”. A few European countries such as Sweden and Norway cut finding to Uganda’s government when it passed an anti-gay bill, which had widespread support in Uganda even as the worldwide community condemned it as draconian. He also visits conflict-torn Central African Republic on a tour that starts on November 25.

The Vatican spokesman refused last week to say whether Francis would wade into the debate, but he would be unlikely to go against the wishes of his local bishops.

In this photo taken Sunday, November 22, 2015, a Ugandan passenger waits for a taxi next to signs welcoming Pope Francis and showing previous Popes, outside the Anglican Sanctuary of the Martyrs, which Pope Francis is expected to visit later in the week, at Namugongo, a suburb in the east of Kampala, in Uganda.

Regardless of the challenges, Africa is a place of guarantee for the Catholic Church, which has withered in Europe and the Americas because of growing secularism and competing evangelical and Protestant churches.

Francis has reaffirmed the church’s opposition to same-sex marriage, but his more inclusive approach has encouraged many gay Catholics while annoying conservatives, Reuters reported, according to BusinessInsider.

“People are extremely excited, because it’s a big honour, we feel very privileged to host the Holy Father”, said Peter Magu, a member of the organising committee for the papal visit, who has been busy preparing for the pontiff’s mass in the Nairobi slum on Friday. Who were recruited when they were still young. And we’re judging them harshly.