Catholic bishops fault projection of homosexuality, others as women’s rights

Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has kicked against the projection of transgenderism, lesbianism, bisexuality, contraception and abortion as global rights of women signed by 160 countries including Nigeria at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD+25) last month in Nairobi, Kenya.

Reiterating that the above-mentioned were against the sanctity and dignity of human life and the Catholic faith, the bishops urged the Federal Government to jettison the resolutions.Speaking at an event organised by Church and Society Department of CNBC yesterday in Abuja, Catholic Bishop of Bomadi Diocese, Rev. Hyacinth Egbebo, said that a lot of women had been destroyed due to the use of contraceptives being introduced by the West, adding that the church advocated responsible parenthood.

The cleric observed that the killing of an unborn child and wilful disruption of women’s natural rhythm of fertility could not be accepted as normal, adding that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) were disordered sexual orientations that could not be accepted as a normal way of life.

“Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights is a coded language for contraception, abortion and sterilisation. Disguising it as family planning is only deceptive. Human sexuality is not a disease to be controlled.

“It is curious that instead of helping address the genuine health needs of Africa and other developing countries, women’s bodies are medicalised, mechanised with different gadgets and accused of being the cause of world’s population problems.

“The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria stands against ICPD+25 and join the Catholic Bishops of Africa in standing for life, the natural family of man and woman, the natural way of regulating births,” he said.Egbebo urged the Federal Government to hold fast to the pristine values, which distinguish the traditional African community’s respect for life, family and human dignity and reaffirmed commitment of the church to promote scientific natural planning methods and natural reproductive technologies.