Mags Gargan
Pro Boxer Manny Pacquiao An Irish missionary based in the Philippines has described the homophobic comments of Filipino world boxing title holder Manny Pacquiao, as “deplorable”.
Irish Columban missionary Fr Shay Cullen, who has lived in the Philippines for over 40 years working with street children, said the boxer’s remarks that “If men mate with men and women mate with women they are worse than animals” were “vile comments that are to be condemned, rejected and repudiated in the strongest terms possible”.
“We as humans have to recognise and respect the dignity of every human person and end discrimination of all kinds whether it be based on race, religion, gender, culture or social and economic status. As Pope Francis says, ‘Who are we to judge?’” Fr Cullen said.
Manny Pacquiao is currently running for a senate seat in the May elections in the Philippines and anger over his comments led him to deliver an apology on Tuesday “for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals”.