Duterte asks Catholic church to allow priests to marry to curb sex abuse problems
Published Feb 24, 2019 09:47 pm
By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
President Duterte said that members of the clergy should be allowed to get marry to solve the problem of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte graces the campaign rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-LABAN) at the Plaza Independencia of Barangay San Roque in Cebu City on February 24, 2019. (SCREENSHOT / RTVM / FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN)
Duterte made the statement as the historic four-day global sexual abuse meeting called "The Protection of Minors in the Church" in Vatican came to a close.
In a speech in Cebu City Sunday evening, Duterte said that one way to solve the issue is for the Catholic Church to allow priests and bishops to get married.
He also likened it a same-sex marriage after claiming that four out of five priests are homosexuals.
"They should allow the priests to get married so there will be no problem anymore. That's the only solution," Duterte said in Bisaya.
"Even the gays. Allow them to marry. I am for same-sex marriage. Let us not kid each other anymore," he added.
Last month, Duterte said that gay bishops should come out to the open and be allowed to have boyfriends, claiming that majority of bishops are gays and that the Catholic Church should now embrace homosexual kinship among the clergy.
However, the President doubted if people will still believe in a gay bishop.
"Karamihan sa kanila bakla. O tingnan mo. Wala akong ano sa bakla. Eh sa dormitory ang ka-roommate ko bakla man (Most of them are gays. I have nothing against gays, I even had a gay roommate in the dormitory)," he said.
"Pero sila (But they), they should come out in the open, cancel celibacy, and allow them to have boyfriends also. Ang problema kung sino'ng maniwala sa iyo (But the problem is who will now believe in you)," he added.
Duterte, who earlier revealed he was molested by a priest when he was still a student, had also said he would not mind if attacking the Church will cause his downfall.
"No politician of recent memory makipag-away diyan sa Vatican pati sa pope. Nagka --- mahiya sila dito sa akin (No politician in recent memory would stand up against the Vatican and the Pope. They would really be embarrassed because of me)," he said.
"Ako (Me), so be it. If it will cause my downfall, I will accept it. If I die or totally destroyed or discredited as a politician, that would be my destiny," he added.
The President then explained that he is intentionally attacking the Church, because they should not be like politicians who use their platform to criticize the government.
"Kasi inaatake nila ako sa pulpito eh. Huwag mong gamitin ito kasi parang Liberal Party ka na rin o PDP Laban ka diyan nagsasalita (It's because you are attacking me in the pulpit. Do not do that because you are now like Liberal Party or the PDP Laban when you do that)," Duterte said.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte graces the campaign rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-LABAN) at the Plaza Independencia of Barangay San Roque in Cebu City on February 24, 2019. (SCREENSHOT / RTVM / FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN)
Duterte made the statement as the historic four-day global sexual abuse meeting called "The Protection of Minors in the Church" in Vatican came to a close.
In a speech in Cebu City Sunday evening, Duterte said that one way to solve the issue is for the Catholic Church to allow priests and bishops to get married.
He also likened it a same-sex marriage after claiming that four out of five priests are homosexuals.
"They should allow the priests to get married so there will be no problem anymore. That's the only solution," Duterte said in Bisaya.
"Even the gays. Allow them to marry. I am for same-sex marriage. Let us not kid each other anymore," he added.
Last month, Duterte said that gay bishops should come out to the open and be allowed to have boyfriends, claiming that majority of bishops are gays and that the Catholic Church should now embrace homosexual kinship among the clergy.
However, the President doubted if people will still believe in a gay bishop.
"Karamihan sa kanila bakla. O tingnan mo. Wala akong ano sa bakla. Eh sa dormitory ang ka-roommate ko bakla man (Most of them are gays. I have nothing against gays, I even had a gay roommate in the dormitory)," he said.
"Pero sila (But they), they should come out in the open, cancel celibacy, and allow them to have boyfriends also. Ang problema kung sino'ng maniwala sa iyo (But the problem is who will now believe in you)," he added.
Duterte, who earlier revealed he was molested by a priest when he was still a student, had also said he would not mind if attacking the Church will cause his downfall.
"No politician of recent memory makipag-away diyan sa Vatican pati sa pope. Nagka --- mahiya sila dito sa akin (No politician in recent memory would stand up against the Vatican and the Pope. They would really be embarrassed because of me)," he said.
"Ako (Me), so be it. If it will cause my downfall, I will accept it. If I die or totally destroyed or discredited as a politician, that would be my destiny," he added.
The President then explained that he is intentionally attacking the Church, because they should not be like politicians who use their platform to criticize the government.
"Kasi inaatake nila ako sa pulpito eh. Huwag mong gamitin ito kasi parang Liberal Party ka na rin o PDP Laban ka diyan nagsasalita (It's because you are attacking me in the pulpit. Do not do that because you are now like Liberal Party or the PDP Laban when you do that)," Duterte said.