They were asked about Francis' recent comments to The Associated Press, in which he declared that laws that criminalize gay people were "unjust" and that "being homosexual is not a crime."

South Sudan is one of 67 countries that criminalizes homosexuality, 11 of them with the death penalty. LGBTQ advocates say even where such laws are not applied, they contribute to a climate of harassment, discrimination and violence.

Vilmont's arrest marks the fifth in connection with the scandal, which erupted on July 14, 2022, after customs officials seized counterfeit currency and weapons at the border. The items were contained in Episcopal relief shipments, which previously had been exempt from customs inspection.

The response of the English bishops "belies the loss of confidence by the bishops in the authority and clarity of the Bible as we have received it. They are re-writing God's law for His creation; laws that are re-affirmed by Christ in the gospel accounts," Badi Arama added.

The primate of South Sudan also blasted the bishops' document on homosexuality as "a farcical compromise, with many contradictions, and no theological case made for blessing same sex unions."

Revisionist (liberal) bishops propose that blessing same sex unions as a 'steppingstone' towards the CofE eventually offering gay weddings. They also want to bin Issues in Human Sexuality which contains the historic, universal biblical teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman for life.