MALAWI: Catholic Bishops Issue Joint Letter Denouncing Government For Not Imprisoning Gays

In 2012 then-Malawian President Joyce Banda suspended her nation’s laws that criminalized homosexual acts. Last week Malawi’s Catholic bishops issued a joint pastoral letter which denounces the government for failing to imprison gay citizens. From the letter:

We agree with those who have faulted the Government for putting a moratorium on laws governing homosexual acts. This means that those guilty of homosexual acts or unions cannot be prosecuted. The Government has bowed down to pressure from donor community, international bodies and local human rights campaigners. As Pastors, we find this path very unfortunate. It is an act of betrayal on the part of those in power to sell our country to foreign practices and tendencies contrary to the will of God because of money. While we do not condone homosexual acts or unions because they are sinful, however, we wish to condemn in strongest terms those inciting violence against homosexuals and those guilty of homosexual acts or unions.

Radio Vatican and the virulently anti-gay LifeSiteNews both fail to mention the call to imprison gays in their reports on the letter. (Tipped by JMG reader Dave)

RELATED: The suspended laws that criminalize homosexuality remain on the books in Malawi. A ban on same-sex marriage which compares gay sex to rape was signed into law last year.