Bishop bemoans bikini contests

Saying the Catholic Church is against making women’s bodies the object of lustful eyes, a Catholic bishop urged bikini contest organizers to hold other activities instead.

 

“We are against that (bikini contest) because you are subjecting the body of a woman to the lustful eyes of men and vice versa,” said Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles.

 

He also said organizing such an activity lowers the morality of people.

 

“It lowers the morality so we are against anything that lowers the morality and all of its manifestations,” Arguelles said.

 

He added he will not support the holding of a bikini contest, which is very popular during summer, in Batangas. His archdiocese, Lipa, is part of the province of Batangas.

 

“We will oppose such kind of activity,” he said.

 

With this, he urged bikini contest organizers to hold alternate activities that do not demean women.

 

“I suggest they just don’t promote what demeans the woman... the Church is against making women’s bodies object of lustful eyes,” Arguelles added.

 

Meanwhile, an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Youth  (CBCP-ECY) said bikini contests should not encourage the exploitation of both sexes.

 

“Activities similar to this while tolerated, should and must be conducted with a pure intention of affirming not only physical beauty but also that of clarity of values. This should not promote exploitation of women but celebrate possessing beauty and the responsibility attached to it,” Fr. Conegundo Garganta, CBCP-ECY executive secretary, said.

 

“Men included, not to be exploited but made to understand that with the gift of beauty and good physique is the amount of responsibility to value the power that comes with it,” Garganta said.

 

On Thursday, the Philippine National Police regional office warned organizers of bikini open events this Holy Week in Cebu and other parts of Central Visayas of possible arrest.

 

Regional deputy for operations Senior Superintendent Orlando Ualat said they have teams to look out for such events, radio dzBB's Cebu affiliate Orchids Lapincao reported. 

 

In 2009, organizers of a bikini show on Bantayan Island were charged for violating the Women Development Code and Revised Penal Code regarding indecent shows. —KG, GMA News