Pope Francis urged to address LGBT issues on Africa visit

He’ll be visiting Kenya, Uganda and Central African Republic, where Catholics represent 32 percent, 47 percent and 29 percent of the populations, respectively.

“The Pope’s visit to Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic is meant to send the message that the Church in Africa is important; that it has a crucial role to play in promoting justice and peace in societies where governments are not always accountable or responsive”.

Gay activists are hoping Pope Francis will preach tolerance toward homosexuals, and even go so far as to condemn violent attacks against gays during his upcoming visit to Uganda. “The Pope’s messages and actions during his visit can help alleviate the suffering of millions of Africans who are often at the mercy of abusive security forces and armed groups”. Dozens of individuals have been killed there since September in violence between Muslim Seleka rebels and Christian anti-balaka militias.

The pope visits the Nairobi headquarters of the United Nations on Thursday and is expected to address climate issues.

Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze wrote “The church has the task of reinforcing the conviction that monogamy is the way forward” in the preface to Christ’s New Homeland -Africa. Extremist organizations, poverty and a deep rift between Christians and Muslims pose serious problems for the Catholic church, as well as some priests choosing to leave the church rather than practicing celibacy.

The Catholic Church in Africa faces particular challenges, including traditional customs of ancestor veneration that clash with church doctrine and other Christian denominations that offer the power to heal to congregations.

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. In several African countries, homosexuals are greatly discriminated against and there are few instances of tolerance.

“Kangemi has had lots of problems for a very long time, we can see the roads have been upgraded, street lights have been installed”, Wangeci said.

The pope’s “compassion for the poor and his frankness of spirit is an encouragement to all of us who live in the light and stand for the causes that matter to humanity”, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said in a statement Monday. “This is a top priority for which he accepted our invitation”, said Archbishop John Baptist Odama, the head of the conference of local bishops.