Frank DeBenardo of New Ways Ministry is in Rome for the Family Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. While there, he was able to interview Cardinal Turkson, an African who heads the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and extracted from him two notable statements:

You’ve made a number of statements on criminalization laws which have been interpreted variously?  What is your position on criminalizing  lesbian and gay people?

My position has had two parts.  Homosexuals cannot be criminalized. Neither can any state be victimized. So, let no state criminalize homosexuals, but let no state by victimized. No state should have aid denied because of this.

Last week, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle said that African bishops were reluctant to oppose criminalization, but that they were growing in awareness of lesbian and gay people.  Do you see African bishops outgrowing their reluctance to oppose criminalization laws soon?

We are all growing in this regard.  When we come to meetings like the synod and listen to one another, we learn from one another.  We hear bishops telling stories of their relatives’ pain, and we grow.

Source:  Bondings 2.0