Pontiff urges Osun state residents to live in peace

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June 30, 2016 5:22 PM

Pope Francis during a visit to the Catholic Church at the Government house in Osogbo has urged Osun state residents to live in unity.

Pope Francis during a visit to the Catholic Church at the Government house in Osogbo has urged Osun state residents to live in unity.

The pontiff who was represented by Most Reverend Augustine Kassujja stated that the dialogue instead of violence should be ensued when resolving cultural, religious and traditionally issues.

Francis emphasized that regardless of culture, religion, and ethnicity, the virtues of tolerance, compassion and accommodation must be adopted by all.

Recently, Pope Francis while on a plane returning from the Armenia urged the Church [Christians] to apologise and seek forgiveness from homosexuals for the way it has treated them.

"I will repeat what the catechism of the Church says, that they [homosexuals] should not be discriminated against, that they should be respected, accompanied pastorally.

"I think that the Church not only should apologize... to a gay person whom it offended but it must also apologise to the poor as well, to the women who have been exploited, to children who have been exploited by [being forced to] work. It must apologise for having blessed so many weapons.

"The Church must ask forgiveness for not behaving many times -- when I say the Church, I mean Christians! The Church is holy, we are sinners!

"One can condemn, but not for theological reasons, but for reasons of political behavior...Certain manifestations are a bit too offensive for others, no?

"But these are things that have nothing to do with the problem. The problem is a person that has a condition, that has good will and who seeks God, who are we to judge? And we must accompany them well.

"There are traditions in some countries, some cultures, that have a different mentality about this question (homosexuals)" and there are "some (gay) demonstrations that are too offensive for some."

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