Vitus Huonder, a Catholic bishop in Switzerland, delivered a 50-minute sermon on the evils of homosexuality on July 31st. Using a bible verse to imply that Catholics should kill gays, he’s being charged with “inciting people to crimes,” which under Swiss law is considered a federal offense.
The New Civil Rights Movement reports that the Catholic Bishop of Chur’s speech included this oft-cited passage from Leviticus:
“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”
Bishop Huonder said the passage should “suffice to clarify unambiguously the church’s position on homosexuality.”
Pink Cross, the Swiss Gay Federation, filed a criminal complaint against Huonder, claiming his speech could be interpreted to suggest Catholics should actively harm homosexuals.
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According to SSPX, he’s previously denounced “gender theory,” and has written extensively about his disapproval of gay marriage and the “(homo)-sexualization of children.”
In a statement, Huonder claims he’s been “misunderstood” and that he never wanted to sound “contemptuous” towards gay people.
“That wasn’t my intention,” he insists.
If convicted, he faces three years in prison.
