Sotto chides bashers, saying civil union remark of Pope Francis misinterpreted

Senate adopts Resolution No. 395: With 12 senators voting for its approval and nine others abstaining, Senate President Vicente Sotto III bangs the gavel, signifying the adoption of Senate Resolution No. 395, Monday, May 11, 2020, urging the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to reconsider the cease-and-desist order it issued against ABS-CBN, its subsidiaries and affiliates. (Henzberg Austria/ Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III believes that the statement of Pope Francis on civil unions has been misinterpreted.

What the Pope meant was that homosexuals should not be ostracized by their families, Sotto said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday.

“The Pope never mentioned same-sex [marriage]. What he said was ‘homosexuals.’ And it’s true. It’s really correct that just because they’re homosexual you will remove them from their family. That’s what’s happening here, right? Children are ostracized. It should not happen. That’s his point. So now the bashers know that they’re wrong,” he said.

“They are the ones who should be bashed,” he added, speaking partly in Filipino. “It turns out they didn’t understand. And the Spanish of the pope was actually Argentinian. Now, it was someone from New York who interpreted it. His translation was wrong.”

“Then there was a different interpretation put in it. And here it was immediately accepted,” he went on. “That’s why they think I was the one who was wrong. No. They thought I meddled with it, that I was better than the pope. No. I said: You got it wrong. Their understanding of it was wrong, obviously.”

Earlier, Sotto said he doubted that the pope’s pronouncement would affect the views of lawmakers on measures for same-sex civil unions.

“That is my opinion. Why are you meddling with my opinion ko?” he told his bashers.

Previously, retired Novaliches Bishop Teodoro Bacani said that the pope’s call for allowing same-sex couples to get into legally recognized civil unions was not an endorsement of same-sex marriage.

“What he asks to be created is a law of civil union which will protect the dignity of even homosexuals. That’s the shortest summary. What he is asking for is a law of civil union which will protect the dignity of homosexuals also and allow them to live in society in peace,” Bacani said.

“What the pope wants is that we love even those who have erred — even homosexuals. As they say, they are children of God. Love them. Don’t turn them away. And there should be a law of civil union so that other people will not harm them or disregard their rights or their humanity,” he said in Filipino.

Pope Francis made his remark at the premiere of the documentary “Francesco” at the Rome Film Festival.

“What we have to create is a law of civil union. They have the right to be legally protected. I have defended that,” the Pope said.

Legalizing same-sex marriage remains one of the most polarizing issues in the Philippines, a predominantly Catholic country.

In January 2020, the Supreme Court dismissed with finality the petition to allow same-sex marriage.

The high court initially dismissed the same petition in September 2019 as it pointed out that the issue should be addressed by Congress.

RELATED STORY: CBCP clarifies Pope’s stand on same-sex unions

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