By Christina Hermoso  Catholic Church leaders welcomed a Supreme Court ruling junking the same-sex union petition with finality. Supreme Court of the Philippines (MANILA BULLETIN) In a Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines News post, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo expressed full support to the ruling as he urged the public to shift their attention to more important matters like poverty, unemployment, and climate change. “We should focus more on these issues,” Pabillo said. Cubao Bishop Honesto F. Ongtioco said, “The Church will always uphold the teachings of Jesus regarding marriage, regardless of what the state legislates. At least, the SC still upholds what the Church teaches,” the prelate said. The Supreme Court upheld an earlier decision to reject the petition that seeks to allow same-sex union in the country. The SC said the petition lacked substantial arguments to warrant the reversal of its earlier ruling. Fr. Melvin Castro pointed out that Congress can still enact such a law since the Supreme Court stated that the Constitution does not explicitly prohibit same-sex marriage in the country. “It leaves open for Congress to enact such a law. The SC decision actually challenges us to be more vigilant and ever on-guard,” said the former head of the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Family and Life. Castro stressed that the Church’s position on homosexuality is to fully embrace gays and lesbians, but same-sex relationships and same-sex unions are unacceptable. “We accept them,  even if they have same-sex attraction, but we cannot accept if they will have same-sex relationships or same-sex unions,” he said.