Some Catholic prelates in Phl in disbelief.

Some Filipino Catholic prelates have expressed shock and disbelief at Pope Francis’ voicing support for laws on samesex civil union.

The pope shared his sentiment in “Francesco,” a documentary film that premiered recently at the Rome Film Festival.

“Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it,” the pope said in the film, the Catholic News Agency reported.

Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes yesterday said he was “really scandalized” by the pope’s pronouncement, as he stressed a “union” can only be between a man and a woman.

Bastes said supporting civil union for gay couple is a “shocking statement coming from a pope” as it is “contradictory to divine law, which explicitly permits only the union of man and woman or of opposite sexes of male or female, whatever that union is: civil, legal or sacramental.”

“I have very serious doubts about the moral correctness of this latest statement of Pope Francis. I am really scandalized by his defense of homosexual union, which surely leads to immoral acts,” he added.

Fr. Douglas Badong, parochial vicar of the Quiapo Church, said the pope may have only issued such statement to appease the LGBT community.

“For the record, civil union and not marriage. The teachings of the Catholic Church that marriage is for man and woman remain. Maybe he said that to appease the rights of the LGBTQ community from a standpoint of civil union,” Badong said in mixed Filipino and English.

“What Jesus has taught us is all in the Scriptures,” he said in Filipino. “And I don’t think a pope will talk about same-sex marriage.”

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Public Affairs Committee executive secretary Fr. Jerome Secillano and Archdiocese of Manila apostolic administrator Broderick Pabillo said they need to know first the context of the pope’s statement before making any comment.

Legazpi Bishop Joel Baylon said the media may have misinterpreted Francis’ statement.

“It is just a documentary film, so not official and should be verified. Being a film, there could be insertion or editing, or just for propaganda so that it could be talked about or patronized,” Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos said.

Same position

Malacañang said President Duterte shares the same position on LGBT with the pope.

“The President has said it over and over again: he is in favor of a law that will recognize the civil union of same-sex relationships,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said at a press briefing.

“It’s not same-sex union but civil union... It will depend on the priorities of our Congress. But with no less than the pope supporting it, I think even the most conservative of all Catholics in Congress should no longer have a basis for objecting,” he added.

For Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, the pope’s statement should reignite calls in the Philippines for the legalization of same sex union.

Alvarez is the author of House Bill No. 2264 or the “Civil Partnership Act,” which is pending before the committee on women and gender equality.

“With Pope Francis sharing his thoughts about this issue, let us be optimistic that more legislators in the House and in the Senate become open and supportive to the objectives of House Bill 2264,” Alvarez said in a statement. – Alexis Romero, Edu Punay, Pia Lee Brago