A Catholic lay group has criticized prestigious Catholic institution the Ateneo de Manila University for holding a Pride march that celebrated the LGBTQ+ community.
Couples for Christ Foundation for Family and Life (CFC-FFL) called on the Ateneo to “return to the very nature of Catholic education” and said that the gay community should be respected but not celebrated in a statement posted on Facebook last Wednesday. The post has since gone viral.
“RESPECT, YES; PRIDE, NO COMPASSION, YES; CELEBRATION, NO,” the CFC-FFL’s statement reads.
“The proponents [of the march] spoke of hope and allowing strengths to shine and contribute to a better world and the common good. We beg to disagree and we reiterate the following truths,” the group said before listing down reasons they think being gay is wrong.
This includes typical arguments like how God only created two sexes, that “genders are social constructs” that have “no basis in nature and reality,” and that “homosexual acts” are contrary to natural law.
On Saturday, June 15, the Ateneo’s student government hosted a Pride march called One Big Pride that aimed to “unite and give greater awareness to the LGBTQ+ community that very much exists and deserves attention in our campus.”
The Ateneo, one of the most prestigious universities in the Philippines, is a Roman Catholic institution run by Jesuits. The Catholic Church still views homosexual acts as a sin but some groups, like the Jesuits, have been more welcoming of members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The CFC-FFL believes that celebrating the LGBTQ+ community is against Catholic teachings.
“The LGBT Pride message and its celebration of homosexuality are contrary to the Catholic faith and thus injurious to the faithful, especially the young.”
It also claimed that gay people are “not discriminated against nor persecuted” in the Philippines.
The group proceeded to list down what they think are the negative effects of celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, including a “further deterioration of faith and morals,” “transgender men invading women’s restrooms,” and “legislation penalizing so-called ‘hate’ speech when one speaks against homosexuality.”
The Commission on Gender equality of the Ateneo’s student government condemned the CFC-FFL’s statement on Tuesday and said that this just “makes it clear that the struggles of the community are far from over.”
https://www.facebook.com/SangguCGE/photos/a.481587092298376/719143298542753/?type=3&theater
It also argued that celebrating the LGBTQ+ community is in line with the teachings of St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuit order the Society of Jesus.
“We have been taught to exercise the value of cura personalis ‘care for the entire person’ that includes loving both ourselves and the other, standing with our faith that does justice for the marginalized and oppressed in acts of inclusivity, and becoming men and women for and with others through acts of service and compassion for people in our society.”
