CBCP grieves for victims of Orlando shooting: No human person should ever be the object of disgust

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has expressed its grief for the victims of a shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida where 50 people, including the suspect, were left dead and at least 50 others were injured on Sunday (US time).

In a statement penned by Lingayen Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, the CBCP said the bishops have united to mourn in prayer and call the incident a hate crime. 

“First, this was a hate-crime — the murder of persons because of disgust for their sexual orientation.  Bearing in the depth of his or her soul the image of the Creator, no human person should ever be the object of disgust.  While we may have reasons to disagree with sexual preferences, or reprove certain forms of sexual activity, this can never justify hatred, let alone, murder of another human being,” the statement wrote.

The CBCP then mentioned that the tragedy occured as the Catholic Church celebrates Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. 

“The heartlessness with which so many were cut down in their youth or in the prime of life only makes clear how much the world needs mercy.  As important as it is to be right, it is far more important to be merciful!” it also said.

The CBCP also said that all forms of violance should never be tolerated.  

“We can and should never reconcile ourselves with violence in society — whether this be the violence of lawless elements, the violence of the self-righteous, the violence of vigilante groups, or the violence of government,” it said.

“Violence leaves only mourning, and loss, and bitterness in its wake.  We cannot and should not accept a society that tolerates and perhaps even foments forms of violence, even if this should be in the name of restoring law and order,” it added.

Amid the shocking incident, the CBCP called for sobriety and urged Filipino Catholics to be more accepting with those different  from them.

“No matter that we may disapprove of the actions, decisions and choices of others, there is absolutely no reason to reject the person, no justification for cruelty, no reason for making outcasts of them. This is a project on which we, in the Philippines, must seriously embark for many are still forced to the peripheries because the norms of ‘decent society’ forbid association with them,” it said.

“Pope Francis sternly warns us that this cannot be Christian. We must continue the dialogue and the conversation with them over the things about which we disagree, but this dialogue must always be an encounter of brothers and sisters, an encounter of friends in the Lord,” CBCP also said.

Finally, the bishops called on schools, government agencies, and non-government organizations to be vigilant against bullying, ostracism, and harassment.

“We urge government to educate the nation in the ways of the respect for all life.  We call on all Christians to show the world that our fidelity to Christ and our citizenship in his kingdom are of far more importance than whatever else may keep us in disagreement,” the CBCP wrote.

The suspect, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, was a Muslim American of Afghan descent who was described by his former wife as a homophone.

For his part, US President Barack Obama described him as an example of homegrown extremism.

Sunday’s attack is considered as the deadliest mass shooting in US history. — RSJ, GMA News