CBCP bans gays from joining Santacruzan

MANILA, Philippines - The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday declared a ban on homosexuals participating in Santacruzan events.

CBCP-Public Affairs Committee (PAC) chairman Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez said the Santacruzan is a religious activity and gays have no role in the event.

Iniguez said the Santacruzan is a Filipino religious tradition for women.

Iniguez lamented that gays have taken an active role in the religious activities, virtually turning the Santacruzan into an annual beauty pageant.

“Santacruzan is a religious activity, it is sacred. It strengthens our connection with the Cross and that is why we should show reverence. Since it is a religious activity, gays should not take part in it,” Iniguez said.

The CBCP official said gays participating in the religious event “would be abnormal.”

“In our situation, when people see gays in Santacruzan, they view this as a mockery and this does not contribute to the spiritual atmosphere,” he said.

Iniguez said gays could still join as spectators or help in carrying the torches for the “sagalas.”

The Catholic Church teaches that God only made two genders, man and woman, “and having third or fourth sex is an abnormality and we should find a way to correct this,” Iniguez said.

Iniguez also explained the Santacruzan and other religious activities during the month of May should not be used for fund raising.

“These (fund raising activities) are not religious activities, it is just a cover up and that is not right,” he said.

Iniguez said the Santacruzan should be organized in coordination with the local parish.

He said some groups misuse the concept of the Santacruzan.

“They are using something that has an imprimatur, and they are doing it without approval,” Iniguez said.

Fr. Genaro Diwa of the Ministry for Liturgical Affairs of the Archdiocese of Manila also urged the faithful to avoid treating the traditional Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan as pageantry.

Diwa lamented that some people tend to reduce the Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan into some kind of a beauty pageant.

“It’s so sad that the real meaning of this is reduced for (tourism) purposes or pageantry.”

Diwa said the traditional Flores de Mayo is the offering of flowers to the Blessed Mother in the month of May.

“Nothing is about pageantry of stars or gays. Those elements are not there,” he said.

Diwa appealed for respect for the two religious traditions, and said the Church does not promote pomp and pageantry in celebrating the Flores de Mayo and the Santacruzan.

“They should be respectful also of the church’s symbolisms such as the cross. If they do that it should be clear that it’s not the church’s custom. If they would like pageantry, then it should be clear that the church doesn’t promote that,” he said.

He stressed many Filipinos still have the wrong perception and practice of these activities, and called on local Church leaders to teach the faithful the importance and meaning of these traditions.

“It’s an expression of the faith of the people and the church has to purify it and catechize the people,” he said.