Duterte: Almost 90% of Catholic priests are homosexuals

President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday that almost 90 percent of Catholic priests were homosexuals.

"The most hypocritical institution in the entire Philippines is the Catholic church and the pope knows that," Duterte said during his speech at the Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the  2018 Model OFW Family of the Year Awards ceremony in Malacañang.

"No offense intended, I have so many relatives who are gay. I have two brothers-in-law who are gay, but most of the priests there are homosexuals. Almost 90 percent of you, so do not postulate on immorality," he added.

It was reported recently that Pope Francis urged gay priests to be celibate or leave the priesthood.

Duterte also mentioned in his speech that his youth was corrupted during his high school years because of a priest, the late Fr. Mark Falvey, whom he reportedly named in 2015 as someone who has molested him.

Duterte also blamed the stance of the Catholic church on family planning for the booming population in the country.

"We are very poor. We have a runaway population. It's because of the church. They have always been against family planning but the priests and the bishops are also into it producing more Filipinos, the id**ts of all times," he said.

Last week, Duterte also urged the Catholics to stop going to church and just express their faith by setting up chapels in their homes.

A Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) official described Duterte's remarks as a "senseless statement sowing divisions and false religiosity." —Dona Magsino/ LDF, GMA News