The Saint Lucia Christian Council has responded to the recent High Court ruling that struck down sections of the country’s buggery laws, framing the decision as a watershed moment for the nation while underscoring the Council’s long-held position on sexuality and morality.
In a detailed statement issued this week, the Council acknowledged the ruling’s significance, noting that it “has profoundly impacted the question of human sexuality here in Saint Lucia and sets precedence for other territories.” The body, which represents several major Christian denominations, said that while it respects the constitutional role of the state in safeguarding the rights, safety, and equality of all citizens, it maintains that “legal permission is not moral acceptance.”
The Council’s position was rooted in its theological understanding of humanity and sexuality. It affirmed that all people, regardless of “colour, class, creed or sexual orientation,” are created in the image of God and deserve dignity, respect, and love. At the same time, the Council reiterated that Christian teaching views human sexuality as a sacred gift from God designed to find its “rightful and full expression between a man and a woman in the covenant of marriage, established by God in creation, and affirmed by our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Addressing the presence of individuals within the Church who identify as homosexual, the Council emphasised its pastoral duty to provide guidance, moral direction, and community support. It encouraged “Christ-like living” and recognised celibacy as a valid Christian vocation, referencing Matthew 19:12. The Council further highlighted the importance of fostering friendships and supportive community life while remaining faithful to its interpretation of Scripture.
At the same time, the statement listed sexual behaviours it considered contrary to Christian values, including promiscuity, adultery, prostitution, incest, pornography, pedophilia, predatory sexual behaviour, sadomasochism, and violence against spouses. The Council stressed that these actions, whether heterosexual or homosexual, are “deemed sinful in any context.”
The ruling, which has been hailed by human rights advocates as a step toward greater equality, has generated mixed reactions in Saint Lucia, a country where religious institutions continue to shape public discourse on social issues. By drawing a clear line between law and morality, the Christian Council sought to balance its acknowledgement of constitutional change with a reaffirmation of its doctrinal stance.
Concluding its statement, the Council called on citizens to approach this “new dispensation” prayerfully and with unity, invoking the preamble of the nation’s Constitution: “Affirming faith in the supremacy of the Almighty God.” It ended with a blessing: “May God bless us all.”