The Chaldean Catholic Church has announced that it will not allow the blessing of same-sex couples and released the reasons for this in a statement, claiming that this blessing draws similarities to a marriage.
The Chaldean Church, whose patriarch is Cardinal Raphaël Sako, is one of the 24 Catholic churches of Eastern rite and is headquartered in Iraq, where homosexuality is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The Chaldean Church is not alone in its decision to not to instate Fiducia supplicans. The African Bishops' Conference also decided the same. The Catholic Church's move to allow blessings of same-sex couples surprised other churches, like the Coptic Orthodox. Pope Francis even sent the Vatican doctrinal head to Egypt in an attempt to iron out differences with the Coptics.
AM/JRB
TR: AT
