Source: AFP via Inquirer.net, Reuters, Manila Times
MANILA -- The head of Manila's Roman Catholic church has warned parishes that they will be punished if they allow gay men to play female saint in a popular local festivals called "Santacruzan" or Santa Cruz de Mayo.

"Gays should not be allowed to participate in Santacruzan since it defeats the true meaning of the celebration," Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales told the church-run Radio Veritas station on Monday.

The prelate said he'll refuse to say mass at any parish that allows gay men to participate in the ceremonies as female saints.

"I am not angry at gay men. But, I am against what they're actually doing," he claimed.

Danton Remoto, leader of the pro-gay activist group "Ladlad", protested against the cardinal's statement, saying the participation of gays in the May flower procession was not aimed at mocking or desecrating the church.

"In the eyes of God, everyone is equal," Remoto told Reuters. "Some of these gay men have saved a lot of money for their gowns (to be worn in the procession) and they were doing it because they believed in the Virgin Mary. They need understanding, not condemnation."

"We should keep sacred what is sacred," Rosales said as he attacked the parishes that allow gay men to play Saint Helena (Reyna Elena) and other female roles traditionally acted out by local beauty queens.

The colorful processions are a major tourist draw in the strongly Roman Catholic Philippines and are a highlight of the calendar in May.

The festival, first introduced when the country was a Spanish colony, began as nine days of public prayer, called a "novena", and pilgrimages to shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As with everything in the Philippines, the show business and beauty pageant culture invaded the Santacruzan, Manila Times reports. The May procession originally involved life-size images of saints -- the Blessed Virgin, Queen Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine, who, according to Catholic tradition, stopped the persecution of Christians and favored Catholicism over the original pagan religions of Italy and other female saints of early Christianity.

Then the processions started to feature reigning beauty queens as Queen Helena. The runners-up would take the roles of the other saints. All wear tiaras and glittering gowns.

Before long, consumer-goods companies sponsored citywide and televised Santacruzan processions. Movie stars now often play the role of Saint Helena (who is credited in Catholic tradition with finding the original cross of Calvary) and their leading men as consorts. This was never in the original Church novena.

Then, with the emergence of empowered gay groups, some neighborhoods --independently of the local Catholic parish priest and parish council -- held their own Santacruzan processions with cross-dressing gays as the saints.

Soon enough, some parishes assumed the highly successful gay-organized processions as their own.

"The procession is religious. [But] what the [parishes] do is organize it as a parade of homosexual cross-dressers. That’s an insult to the Blessed Mother," the Cardinal insisted Monday on the Church-run radio station.

According to Manila Times, he followed the statement with the exclamation, "Ay, naku po, nakakapanghilakbot!" The Times translates that as "Oh, mother of mine, it’s hair-raising."

Full article: Prelate slams parishes using gays to play female saints | Inquirer.net (AFP)
Cardinal: Gays out of 'Santacruzans' | Manila Times
Manila bishop says against gay men in May parade | Reuters