Catholics Decry Ugandan Bishops' Tacit Support for Anti-LGBTQ+ Law

Juan Carlos Cruz

Catholic LGBTQ+ leaders have continued calls for Uganda’s bishops to condemn legislation passed earlier this year that further criminalizes LGBTQ+ people. One U.S. bishop, however, has defended the new law.

Juan Carlos Cruz Chellew, a gay man who is a close advisor to Pope Francis, wrote in the National Catholic Reporter that the silence of Uganda’s bishops “is deafening.” He continued, noting the pope’s condemnation of criminalization laws earlier this year:

“This ongoing silence becomes more notable considering the Catholic Church’s influential role in Uganda, with nearly 40% of Ugandans identifying as Catholic. Catholic bishops, considered moral leaders by millions, hold a unique position of influence and could potentially shift the narrative around this inhumane legislation. . .

“Yet, despite the pope’s words, Uganda’s Catholic bishops remain noticeably silent on this issue. Also silent is the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization that oversees the dioceses and bishops in Uganda. Their silence creates a void, one filled by fear, discrimination and dehumanization. As moral and spiritual leaders, their words — or lack thereof — can shape public opinion, either legitimizing these inhumane laws or challenging them. . .

“It is time for the Ugandan Catholic bishops and the Vatican Dicastery for the Evangelization to break their silence. It’s time for them to denounce this legislation as contrary to human dignity and the love that underpins Christianity. Their words could reverberate throughout the nation and the world, promoting a message of love and acceptance over hate and discrimination.”

Chris Vella

As Bondings 2.0 previously reported, several high-profile Ugandan Catholics publicly praised the April passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which imposes the death penalty, life imprisonment, and forced conversion therapy as punishments for same-gender sexual relationships. Prior to the bill’s passage, Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok of Lira, Uganda, called homosexuality “not human” in an Ash Wednesday homily.

The Global Network of Rainbow Catholics (GNRC) reiterated its previous call for the faithful to act against the new Ugandan law and the anti-LGBTQ+ culture from which it came. Chris Vella, also a GNRC co-chair, said he was “deeply shocked and saddened,” adding, “We reach out to our LGBT family in Uganda in solidarity and extend our prayers on their behalf.”

Marianne Duddy-Burke, lthe other GNRC co-chair, said in a statement:

“We invite church leaders to look closely at the lived experience of LGBTIQ people and start a genuine and sincere dialogue with these people before issuing statements that are deeply harmful and dangerous. We appeal to people of good will to protect the human rights of LGBTIQ people and not tolerate any violence and discrimination.”

Bishop Thomas Paprocki

In a diocesan newspaper column deriding Pride Month, Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, digressed from his topic to chide President Joe Biden for criticizing the new Ugandan law, suggesting it was “inherently racist and arrogant for the white leader of the United States to lecture an African nation on what laws are right for their country.” The Biden comment was Paprocki’s example of “[o]ur government . . . promoting the LGBTQ+ movement, not only here in the United States, but around the world.”

When asked by the Illinois Times about his comments, the bishop would not condemn the Ugandan law, stating: “While respecting the sovereignty of the Ugandan people to pass their own laws, the Church’s teaching against the death penalty is clear. The Church also clearly teaches that, while homosexual acts are gravely sinful, homosexual people must be ‘accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity’ and that ‘Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.'”

Worldwide, Catholic leaders and lay people alike have a moral responsibility to be in solidarity with the marginalized LGBTQ+ community in Uganda. The Catechism of the Catholic Church denounces both the death penalty (n. 2306) and “unjust discrimination” against people with lesbian and gay people (n. 2358). On both accounts, Uganda’s latest Anti-Homosexuality Law flaunts the church’s teaching at the expense of LGBTQ+ lives. Church leaders in Uganda need to be a prophetic voice there and live up to the Gospel standards they claim to preach by condemning the unjust law.

—Ariell Simon (she/her) and Robert Shine (he/him), New Ways Ministry, July 11, 2023