The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will be forming a ministry in each diocese that would tackle the issue of same-sex attraction.
The ministry will explain to its flock the Church鈥檚 established stand on the importance of marriage as between a man and a woman, and not between two individuals of the same gender.
Daet Bishop Gilbert Garcera, chair of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life, made the announcement during a two-day symposium on same-sex attraction at the Pope Pius XI Catholic Center in Paco, Manila.
The conference, titled 鈥淟iving the truth in love: Pope Francis and persons with same-sex attraction鈥� also aimed to 鈥渟hepherd persons with same-sex attraction in the Philippine context.鈥�
鈥淥ur main objective is to make it clear to the public that the Church鈥檚 stand is on matrimony, the importance of one鈥檚 identity and to listen to the life-changing stories of our brothers and sisters who were attracted to the same sex,鈥� Garcera said in an interview on the Church-run Radio Veritas.
鈥淲hat is important for our dioceses is that we have a response to same-sex attraction鈥� who will be taken care of by our parishes and dioceses,鈥� Garcera said.
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He added that the 鈥淎moris laetitia,鈥� an apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis, was clear in stating that those with same-sex attraction should be 鈥渞espected as humans, guided in their weaknesses and should not be condemned.鈥�
鈥淭his is not an illness or problem in a sense. What is needed is to accompany these people, especially in their human weakness,鈥� he said.
鈥淒ioceses over the Philippines will help assist them in the sense of welcome, in the sense of integration, in the sense of understanding and a sense of accompaniment for these people,鈥� Garcera said.
The Radio Veritas report also cited a May 2015 Laylo Research Strategies survey which showed that seven out of 10 Filipinos are opposed to legalizing same-sex marriages.