Bishop bashes Baguio gay weddings

BAGUIO — Bishop Carlito Cenzon has criticized the wedding ceremony of eight gay couples held recently in the City of Pines. “Ito ay isang malinaw na insulto sa ating Civil Code at sa katuruan ng Simbahang Katolika! Kawawa naman ang mga taong ito! Wala ng kinikilalang Diyos! Wala na rin silang paggalang sa kanilang sarili! Dapat na matigil ang kahibangang ito!" he said in an interview over Church-run Radio Veritas 846. The Roman Catholic bishop said that the participants in the wedding rites have “mental problems." “Ang mga nagpakasal at nagkasal ay mayroong mga problema sa pag-iisip," he furthered. Last Saturday, the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of Metro Baguio performed wedding rites at the Ayuyang Bar and Restaurant of Baden Powell Inn in Baguio City. The wedding rites were officiated by pastors Mike Sotero, Egay Constantino, Ceejay Agbayani and Regen Luna of the MCC. But Bishop Cenzon cautioned the Catholic faithful, “Mag-ingat tayo sa grupong ito dahil kanilang pinapalabas na sila ay bahagi ng Simbahang Katolika gayong ang kanilang ginagawa ay labag sa Church teachings. Even the Baguio local government is condemning this kind of act." The prelate said the Catholic Church does not allow same-sex marriages since it believes that the Sacrament of Matrimony should only be between a man and a woman. For his part, Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines – National Appellate Matrimonial Tribunal (CBCP-NAMT) supported Cenzon statement saying the Church will never recognize the said marriage. “Maski po sila magpakasal ng lima, sampu, dalawampu, isandaang beses, wala pong kasal. Hindi po kasal yun," the archbishop said. Cruz also expressed the view that marriage is not for people of the same sex because it is the union of a man and a woman for the purpose of having children. “Ang kasal ay pag-iisa ng lalaki at babae. At ang pag-iisa ay pagkakaroon ng natural na supling na hindi maaaring gawin ng parehong kasarian na nagpakasal," he said. — MRT/KBK, GMA News