Gays cannot enter Catholic priesthood, insists Vatican

VATICAN - A decree on training for Roman Catholic priests published on Wednesday stresses the obligation of sexual abstinence, as well as barring gays and those who support "gay culture" from holy orders.

"The Church, while deeply respecting the people concerned, cannot admit to a seminary or into holy orders those who practise homosexuality, show deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support what is called gay culture," said the document.

The new comprehensive guide to the training of Catholic clergy, which runs to about 100 pages, was approved by Pope Francis and published by the Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's official journal.

It updates a previous version dating back 30 years. But the barring of people who present homosexual tendencies was already stipulated by the Catholic Church in 2005.

The new decree does however allow an exemption for "homosexual tendencies which may only be the expression of a transitory problem, such as for example that of adolescence which is not yet complete".

The document also says it would be "seriously imprudent to admit (to holy orders) a seminarian who had not reached a mature, settled and free emotional state, chaste and faithful in celibacy," while saying that future priests also need to understand "the feminine reality".

The document broaches several other issues including the digital revolution.

"One must be prudent in the face of inevitable risks of frequenting the digital world, including different forms of dependency which can be treated with adequate spiritual and psychological means," it notes.

At the same time it recommends that "social media form part of daily seminary life," because they offer "new possibilities of interpersonal relations (and) to meet other people," added the document by the Vatican, which has come to use social media widely.

cm/mt/pvh

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'I am Pogay' grand winner named Mr. Gay World Philippines 2016

MANILA - Baguio City's John Raspado will be representing the Philippines in next year's Mr. Gay World competition.

Raspado was named Mr. Gay World Philippines 2016 at the University of the Philippines Theater in Quezon City.

Zamboanga del Sur's Khalil Vera Cruz was named second runner-up, while Pangasinan's John Bench Ortiz was named first runner-up.

Raspado also won other special awards, including Best in National Costume, Best in Casual Wear, and Mr. Gay World Philippines Popularity.

Back in May 2014, Raspado won the title of the first-ever "I Am PoGay."

Raspado will be replacing his first runner-up in "I am Pogay," Christian Lacsamana, who won second runner-up in Mr. Gay World 2016 last April.

Mr. Gay World is a global competition that aims to inspire and empower gay men by giving hopefuls a venue to "demonstrate that both inward beauty and physical appearance are equally important as is leadership and confidence."

The following are the candidates who made it to the Top 15, the Top 10, and the Top 5:

TOP 15

- John Jeffrey Carlos
- John Raspado
 - Ronald Lamson
- Jesse Regin Nacilla
- Jessie Quitevis

- Frankie Chiu
- Ronaldo Ramos
- John Bench Ortiz
- Sycris Brown
- Jerome Lacsa

- Ian Roy Paderanga
- Godofredo Dela Cruz Jr.
- Leo Andrew Ponce
- Khalil Vera Cruz
- Raffy Gavina

TOP 10

- Jesse Regin Nacilla
- Khalil Vera Cruz
- Godofredo Dela Cruz Jr.
- Raffy Gavina
- John Bench Ortiz

- Leo Andrew Ponce
- Sycris Brown
- John Raspado
- Ronaldo Ramos
- John Jeffrey Carlos

TOP 5

- Leo Andrew Ponce
- John Bench Ortiz
- John Jeffrey Carlos
- John Raspado
- Khalil Vera Cruz

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao: I’m not against gays, just their acts

MANILA -- Boxing champ and senatorial candidate Manny Pacquiao clarified that he has nothing personal against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

In a lengthy interview on DZMM’s "Pasada Sais Trenta" on Wednesday, Pacquiao again apologized for his controversial statements describing couples in same-sex relationships as worse than animals.

But he maintained that he opposes the idea of members of the same-sex living together and getting married as it is “detestable in the eyes of God.”

"Ang pagsasama at pagtatalik ng parehong kasarian, 'yan po ay detestable in God's sight. That's what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah, kung bakit ginunaw ng Panginoon ang Sodom and Gomorrah,” Pacquiao said.

“Ang marriage, napaka-sagrado po 'yan, importante 'yan sa mata ng Panginoon. For me you're insulting God, if you're doing that (homosexual acts).”

This doesn’t mean, however, that he is condemning homosexuals, he said, pointing out that he has a gay nephew and that he is strongly supported by the LGBT community in his constituency in Sarangani province.

“Sa totoo lang po, ang dami kong LGBT na mga scholars, more than 100-200. So ‘di ko kinokondena ang mga LGBT. ‘Yung gagawin, ‘yung [sexual] act ang ayaw na ayaw ko,” he explained.

But according to Bemz Benedito of Ladlad Partylist, Pacquiao never supported gay rights even while serving as a congressman.

In a separate interview, Benedito said the Sarangani congressman never attended committee deliberations where proposals like the Anti-Discrimination Bill were tackled.

“With all due respect to him, apat na beses lang po siyang pumasok sa Kongreso at hindi po siya uma-attend sa committee deliberations,” said Benedito. “Sana kung nandoon siya, napakinggan niya kung ano ang mga suliranin ng mga LGBT, ang daming nadidiscriminate on a day-to-day basis.”

As a result of Pacquiao’s statements, Benedito said they will also be campaigning against the boxing superstar.

“Dalawa na sa mga kaalyado natin na superstars, si Vice Ganda at si Boy Abunda, ang nagsabi na hindi po siya iboboto at i-encourage ang kanilang mga kaibigan, kapamilya,” he said.

“Ganun din po ang aming gagawin. Bababa kami sa mga provincial captain, coordinators, members. Ito po ay ica-cascade namin na dapat, knockdown na sa aming mga balota, hindi na po dapat suportahan. Ikakampanya din namin po saaming mga pamilya, mga kaibigan dahil masyado na pong naging masakit ang mga statements niya,” he continued.

Despite the threat, Pacquiao refused to back down.

“I don't want to compromise naman kung iyan ang desisyon nila. Pinaliwanag ko ang side ko but I dont' want to compromise my belief and faith to the Lord,” the two-term congressman said.

“I don't want to compromise 'pag mali io-OK ko na para maboto ako, no. Para sa akin kung ganun ako sa sarili ko, may hidden agenda.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Gays hail Mexico court's marriage ruling

MEXICO CITY, Mexico - Mexico's gay and lesbian community is celebrating a key ruling by the Supreme Court that opens the door to same-sex marriage throughout the country.

The top court's decision brings Mexico closer to a small group of Latin American nations -- Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay -- that allow gay marriage.

The ruling, which was quietly issued on June 3 and only became known on Friday, says that it is unconstitutional for Mexican states to ban same-sex marriage.

While the "jurisprudence" issued by the court does not oblige states to change their laws, it requires courts to rule in favor of same-sex couples whose marriages were rejected.

"It is a very important step forward for us because it involves access to rights and it's a decision that paves the way for a cultural change, for diverse families to be more visible," Tania Leon, a member of the Fundacion Arcoiris gay rights group, told AFP.

"There is still much to do," Leon said, because gays and lesbian still the targets of discrimination.

Mexico City made history when it legalized same-sex marriage in 2007.

It was followed by the states of Quintana Roo and Coahuila, but Mexico's 29 other federal entities define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

The Supreme Court ruled: "Seeking to link the requirements for marriage to sexual preference... to procreation is discriminatory, because it unjustifiably excludes from marriage homosexual couples that are in similar condition as heterosexual couples."

The nation's top tribunal has chipped away at laws banning gay marriage in recent years.

A previous ruling allowed gays and lesbians to ask courts to recognize their marriages. The latest decree orders judges to automatically rule in favor of same-sex couples.

The governmental National Council to Prevent Discrimination hailed the ruling as "a historic step in recognizing the rights of the sexually diverse community."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

9 in 10 Pinoys say gays, lesbians have right to be protected - SWS

MANILA, Philippines - Nearly nine in 10 Filipinos believe gays and lesbians have the right to be protected against any form of discrimination, a 2013 survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed.

To the statement “Just like me, gays and lesbians also have the right to be protected against any form of discrimination,” 85 percent of 1,200 respondents agreed, five percent disagreed, and 10 percent were undecided.

Results of the survey, conducted from June 28 to 30, 2013 and Sept. 20 to 23, 2013 were released by SWS only yesterday.

Meanwhile, the SWS survey conducted in September showed that 67 percent of Filipinos claimed that gays and lesbians are trustworthy, while only 18 percent said otherwise. The remaining 14 percent were undecided about this matter.

The same survey also found 54 percent of respondents saying that gays and lesbians have contributed a lot to societal progress, while 24 percent of them disagreed.

For a little over half or 54 percent of Filipinos, being gay or lesbian is not a form of mental illness. However, 25 percent said otherwise, the June 2013 survey showed.

Forty-five percent of respondents also disagreed to the statement that being gay or lesbian is contagious. About four in 10 respondents (38 percent) agreed to the statement, while 16 percent were undecided.

The September 2013 survey also found 45 percent of respondents claiming that AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) can be considered a sickness of gays and lesbians. Thirty-three percent disagreed and 21 percent were undecided.

Read more on Philippine Star

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Anne had female admirers in grade school

MANILA – Anne Curtis thinks it is about time that the lesbian community also gets its own pageants, just like gays.

This comes after the actress was asked for her reaction on their new segment on “It’s Showtime” called “That’s My Tomboy” which made it to the local Twitter trending topics for two consecutive days.

“I think it’s about time that they get to have their own pageant. Ang po-pogi nila. But then you get to know the deeper side of them because you get to see that they are still in touch with their feminine side,” she said.

“Nandoon pa rin naman ang pagkababae nila. It’s just that they are attracted to the same sex,” she added.

According to Curtis, having lesbian friends is nothing new to her since she went to an all-girls school when she was in grade school.

Asked if she also had female admirers, Curtis admitted: “Yes, when I was in grade 7, kasi all-girls [school] ako. Hindi naman [ako niligawan], grade 7 lang so puro padala ng letter. You’re all friends eh. Wala pang malice.”

New endorsement

Meanwhile, Curtis said she is happy to have another company which trusted her to be their endorser. Curtis was recently launched as the face of a videoke microphone due to her fondness for singing.

“I didn’t know what to say when I was informed that I’m going to be the endorser. All I can say was ‘Are you serious? Me? Why not!’ Being a singer by choice, it’s suitable,” she said.

Despite criticism from some people, Curtis said she still loves to sing even if she does not have a great voice.

“I want to be a singer regardless. I believe it is part of the culture of Filipinos because it’s everywhere. It’s part of our lifestyle and our culture already,” she said.

Earlier this year, Curtis toured the country to stage her show, “No Other Concert,” which materialized following the success of her "Annebisyosa" concert at the Araneta Coliseum last year.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pope Francis: 'Who am I to judge' gays?

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis reached out to gays on Monday, declaring that it is not his place to judge them -- while also condemning the Vatican's reported gay lobby as a "serious problem".

The remarks to journalists as he flew back to Rome from a high-profile trip to Brazil appeared to be more conciliatory towards homosexuals than his predecessor Benedict XVI.

"If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?" the pope asked.

"The problem is not having this orientation, it is lobbying. That's the most serious problem."

The pope had admitted in June that there was a "gay lobby" in the Vatican's secretive administration, the Roman Curia, according to a Latin American Catholic website.

It followed earlier Italian media reports claiming that a secret report by cardinals investigating Vatican leaks included allegations of corruption and blackmail attempts against gay clergymen, and on the other hand, favouritism based on gay relationships

Francis also fielded questions about Battista Ricca, who was appointed by the pontiff to a key position at the troubled Vatican bank but is embroiled in allegations that he had gay relationships with male prostitutes.

The pope said he had ordered a "brief investigation but we found nothing on him".

"I have not seen anyone at the Vatican who is registered as gay on his identity card," he said, adding however: "We acknowledge that there are (gays)."

Nevertheless, "the catechism of the Catholic Church says clearly that we must not marginalise these people who should be integrated in the society," he added.

The Italian weekly L'Espresso this month reported that Ricca had gay relationships during his time at the Vatican embassy of Montevideo in Uruguay as well as an affair with a Swiss guard which ultimately saw him sent back to Rome in disgrace in 2010.

Because of an internal bid to cover up Ricca's activities, Francis apparently was unaware of his past before appointing him as his personal representative at the scandal-hit bank this year.

Gay rights groups had voiced hope on Francis's appointment that the Argentinian pope would be friendlier to homosexuals than his predecessor.

Benedict had angered the gay community with his suggestion in 2008 that homosexuality was as much of a threat to the survival of the human race as climate change.

Also Monday, the pope said John Paul II, a beloved predecessor, would not be canonised in December as previously mooted.

He said the pencilled-in date of December 8 would not suit pilgrims of modest means travelling to Rome by bus from John Paul II's native Poland.

The 78-year-old pontiff hailed the Polish pope as a "great missionary, a Saint Paul."

Francis also said Monday he was moving forward with reforms of the Vatican adminstration, or Curia, saying he faced no "resistance" while recognising that the Holy See was embroiled in scandals.

"There are saints in the Curia, loyal people," he said. "And if there's resistance, I haven't seen it yet."

As Latin America's first pontiff, he was given a rock star's welcome on Rio de Janeiro's legendary Copacabana beach, with a sea of faithful waving flags, dancing and chanting "long live the pope!" on the crescent-shaped shoreline.

Wrapping up his first trip abroad since his election in March, the head of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics hammered home his plea for young believers gathered for World Youth Day to "go and make disciples of all nations" .

He waved away security concerns, saying: "A bishop and his people cannot be separated by an armoured vehicle."

"I prefer taking a risk," he said.

Brazil is the world's biggest Catholic country but its flock has dwindled while Evangelical churches have boomed. Almost 65 percent of the population was Catholic in 2010, sharply down from 92 percent in 1970, according to the census.

The pope announced that Krakow, Poland, the homeland of the late John Paul II who started the World Youth Day tradition, will host the next gathering in 2016.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Boy Scouts delay decision on gays

NEW YORK - The Boy Scouts of America, a youth group long seen as symbolizing traditional US values, announced Wednesday it was delaying a decision on the contentious issue of whether to allow gays to join.

The Scouts had ruled last year to maintain the ban on openly gay boys and adult leaders. Amid political pressure and rapidly shifting social attitudes, the Scouts' leadership said it would meet on the issue -- leading to speculation that a U-turn was in store.

However, the executive board issued a statement afterwards, saying that "after careful consideration and extensive dialogue within the Scouting family, along with comments from those outside the organization..., (it) concluded that due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs time."

"The approximately 1,400 voting members of the National Council will take action on the resolution at the National Annual Meeting in May 2013," the statement said.

The 103-year-old institution, famed for its outdoor training programs and preaching of simple virtues, has close links to the country's conservative and religious heartlands.

However, the group, which is separate from the Girl Scouts of the USA and counts 2.6 million boys in its membership, is increasingly unsure of its position in wider society.

President Barack Obama said Sunday in an interview aired right before the Super Bowl that "nobody should be barred" from the Scouts.

On Wednesday, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a prominent backer of same-sex marriage, added his voice to the debate.

"Discrimination against gays in the Boy Scouts, I think, is wrong and I think they'd be well advised to eliminate it," he told reporters.

With New York among the growing number of US states allowing gay marriage, and Obama ending the ban on gays serving openly in the military, the Scouts appear to find themselves increasingly behind the times.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found that voters across the country are 55 percent in favor of an end to the Scouts' ban, with only 33 percent against.

There was a notable gender gap in the poll, with 61 to 27 percent of women in favor of ending the ban, but men split 49 to 39 percent.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2000 in favor of the Boy Scouts, saying that the prohibition against openly homosexual members was part of its right as a private organization to free association and that it could not be forced to adopt an unwanted message.

In his interview, Obama called the Scouts a "great institution that are promoting young people and exposing them to opportunities and leadership that will serve people for the rest of their lives."

However, he added: "My attitude is that gays and lesbians should have access and opportunity the same way everybody else does in every institution and walk of life."

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Gay Pinoys in Holland impressed with movie ‘Boy’

HOLLAND – “Boy”, a Dutch film about the life of a homosexual Filipino houseboy, has gained a number of fans, particularly gays.

Screened at the recently concluded Netherlands Film Festival, “Boy” collected fans from the Pinoy gay community.

Arvin Quirante, who starred as the boyfriend of the Pinoy houseboy played by Gerald Gonzales, also gained a league of fans.



Quirante, a professional singer and certified voice teacher in The Netherlands, has no experience in film acting.

His experience in acting is on stage when he was cast as Thuy, the lead role in Miss Saigon in The Netherlands and also as the understudy Thuy in Miss Saigon Manila.

Quirante said he was able to hide his nervousness at several delicate scenes like his kissing scene with Gonzales.

“Kasi part yan ng buhay ng gay. Otherwise, I’m not telling the truth about the gay society…about buhay ng bakla,” Quirante said.

Many gays who attended the festival are proud of the film.

“Maganda. It’s nice to see it. To see also a Filipino speaking Dutch,” Godwin Yosalina said.

“If you compare it to a poem it’s like a stream of consciousness-like script. Very natural, very not forced,” Jamaica Salcedo said.

Even the foreigners were impressed at the movie that was shown in both Dutch and Tagalog.

“I like the movie 'Boy' very much. It’s nice to see Filipinos acting,” Goran Turnsek said.

Boy was among the 14 films in competition for the Golden Calf awards, the Dutch equivalent of the Oscars but it did not receive a nomination.

In December, Boy will be among eight films to be shown on Dutch channel Nederland2 as part of the “One Night Stand on TV.”

source: abs-cbnnews.com