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Homosexuals have nothing to be ashamed of, Catholic bishops say


Catholic bishops on Tuesday urged homosexuals to “come out in the open" because gays, lesbians, and bisexuals should not be ashamed of what they are. At the launch of a book on homosexuality, San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz said the Church does not frown upon homosexual individuals, just homosexual acts and same-sex marriages. The Catechism of the Catholic Church makes a distinction between homosexual persons and homosexual acts. The Catechism says homosexual persons “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity," while homosexual acts “are contrary to natural law." “They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved," it adds.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Aniceto said homosexuals should be “honest" to themselves despite factors that add to their fear of coming out, like culture and the point-of-view of family and friends. “That’s why it is also very important to have counseling centers and formation groups that will face this issue," he added. Cruz said the book — “Homosexuality and the Catholic Church" — comes to the defense of homosexuals because it does not condemn them for their “nautral disposition." “Don’t condemn those who had a different sexual orientation. For one thing, they did not choose it. Second, it is possible they could redeem themselves from it. Third, a good number of them are just behaving that way but they are not acting on their sexual orientation," the bishop said. In an interview aired on GMA-7’s “24 Oras" newscast, Ladlad party-list chair Bemz Benedito said the book portrays homosexuals as a curse and scourge to society. “At ‘yung pagmamahal at pakikipagtalik ay pribado na naming pamumuhay ‘yon, (And our love and love making are our private way of living)," Benedito said. In presenting issues surrounding homosexuality, the book draws from the experiences of the author, the late American missionary Fr. John Harvey, in ministering to persons struggling with same-sex attractions. — With Paterno Esmaquel II/VS, GMA News

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