CBCP-ECFL statement on the voting process for the RH bill

Bp Reyes Statement on RH Voting Procedures



From CBCP for Life:

Demand nominal voting if RH bill put to a vote, says bishop

MANILA, Dec. 3, 2012—Despite the public outcry against the highly controversial population control bill, it looks like Malacanang is doing what it can to influence the legislature and speed up action on House Bill 4244, prompting Antipolo Bishop Gabriel V. Reyes to enjoin Filipinos to demand transparency from legislators should they insist on putting the measure to a vote.

“Let us demand from our Congressmen, specially the leaders of Congress, that the voting be nominal, whenever a vote on a part on the whole of the Substitute Bill of the House Bill 4244 is taken,” the bishop, who heads the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL), said in a recent statement on the voting procedure on the bill.

“It is the right of the people to know how their respective Congressmen voted on this important bill,” Reyes pointed out.

Solons averse to nominal voting?

The apparent lack of transparency in the process of legislation involving the highly controversial reproductive health (RH) bill has been noted twice particularly in the last three months.

The period of interpellations was suddenly halted at the Lower House when, on the afternoon of August 6, majority of the lawmakers voted viva voce for the termination of the debates on the bill, following their meeting with President Benigno Aquino III earlier that day. The vote had originally been scheduled for August 7.

On November 26, the House accepted – again through viva voce voting – individual amendments by way of substitute bill as the new one under consideration. Viva voce (live voice) voting refers to voting by speech – saying “aye” or “nay” (yes or no) instead of by written or printed ballot (nominal voting refers to a scheme in which lawmakers cast their votes one by one and will be allowed to explain their votes on the bill).

Seconds later, after Cebu Representative Pablo Garcia made a motion for nominal voting, ALAGAD Party-List Representative Rodante Marcoleta moved for adjournment.

Deputy Speaker Crispin Remulla hence declared session adjourned till the following day.

Social analysts and pundits have pointed out that highly controversial measures – of which the RH bill has proven to be one – ought to be dealt with in legislative proceedings not by shouting one’s preference, which viva voce essentially involves.

Reyes also issued a statement on December 2, calling on all believers to a day of prayer and fasting today to uphold the sanctity of life, as a meeting in Malacañang between President Benigno Aquino III and his allies in Congress takes place noon, followed by the expected push for the RH bill’s passage at Batasang Pambansa in the afternoon.

Pro-life and pro-family organizations from different parishes and dioceses, as well as life advocates from secular groups are expected to troop to the House of Representatives today to express their anti-RH sentiments and show their support for the anti-RH lawmakers. (CBCP for Life)

A call to prayer, fasting and vigilance on December 3, 2012

Diocese of Talibon's Position Paper versus the RH Bill

From the blog of Fr. Abet Uy comes the following position paper, published by the Diocese of Talibon earlier this month:

Position Paper of the Diocese of Talibon Concerning the RH Bill (English Version)

We honor God. We respect human life. We value our family. We love our children. These are the main reasons why we, the People of God in the Diocese of Talibon, strongly oppose the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill.

We believe that the RH Bill is not in consonance with the will of God. The sacrament of marriage, authored by God, has two inseparable meanings, namely: the unitive – which serves the good of spouses; and the procreative – which serves the good of the human race. These noble purposes of marriage are being undermined by the RH Bill when it promotes artificial contraception, an act which holds couples from giving themselves fully to each other and which aims to close the possibility of conceiving a new human life.

We believe that the RH Bill lacks respect for life. Human life is most sacred because it is made in the image and likeness of God. We need to protect and care for it from the moment of conception up to its natural death. The RH Bill claims to be for reproductive health. However, by promoting artificial contraception, it can be dangerous not only to the health, but even to the life, of unborn babies. It can also be harmful to the physical and spiritual well-being of men and women.

We believe that the RH Bill does not truly care for the family. The family is called the “Domestic Church” because it is here that the love of God and neighbor can be taught and put into practice. By encouraging artificial contraception, the RH Bill puts the family in a precarious situation. Studies have shown that countries which promote artificial contraception consequently have higher incidence of adultery, divorce, premarital sex, teenage pregnancy and abortion.

We believe that the RH Bill has little love for children. Children are gifts from God. We treasure them because they give meaning to our Christian lives and inspire parents to work hard. The RH Bill considers children as hindrance to development. It presumes that the Philippines would be better off if there are fewer mouths to feed and fewer children to educate and to care for. It turns a blind eye on the fact that children can be our great assets or treasure.

Instead of supporting the RH Bill, we humbly ask our countrymen, our leaders and lawmakers to:

1) Promote and practice Natural Family Planning (NFP). NFP is part of God's wise design for human sexuality. It is free, highly effective and has no side effects. Importantly, it encourages mutual respect, shared responsibility, self-discipline and self-control, which are essential values for a permanent and happy marriage.

2) Defend the right to life of the unborn child. The baby inside the womb is the most powerless of all God's children. We need to secure its well-being by putting a strict ban on abortifacient contraceptives and a better enforcement of the law against abortion.

3) Use government resources for poverty alleviation, not for contraception. Most of the coffers of the government come from the hard-earned money of its people, majority of which are Catholics. It is therefore proper to use such funds for life-giving projects that benefit the people, not those things which offend or harm them.

4) Continue the hard fight against corruption, which is the main cause of our people's poverty and misery. Bring thieves to jail and oblige them to return stolen money to the government.

And so, we join the genuine voice of the Filipino nation as we say, “No to the RH Bill, Yes to God's will.”

The Diocese of Dumaguete's Diocesan Council of the Laity versus the RH Bill

Diocesan council of the laity opposes RH bill

A RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE PASSAGE OF THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH BILL AND ANY FORM OF IMP LEMENTATION THEREOF

WHEREAS, there is reliable notice that the Reproductive Health Bill will again be revived in the Congress of the Philippines through Congressman Edcel Lagman;

WHEREAS, the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines has always opposed the passage of the said bill not only on religious but also on economic and health reasons;

WHEREAS, the Reproductive Health Bill is an opener to the legalization in this country, as what happened in other countries now being classified as “dying” countries, or maybe “endangered” species, and the conditioning of the minds of Christian Filipinos to the use of artificial birth control methods and eventually of abortion;

WHEREAS, we firmly believe that the Reproductive Health Bill contains provisions which are contrary to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on faith and morals and even of pertinent provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution;

WHEREAS, we firmly believe that the strongest and most valuable asset there is in our society is human resource and that the use of artificial birth control methods will eventually lead people to develop an anti child-mentality, mostly among women, as what happened in countries particularly in Europe where there was a massive introduction of artificial birth control methods and now resulting in the fact that majority of their population belong to the elderly and therefore less, and even no longer, productive economically and which situation is seen as the prime reason for the economic downturn and difficult economic recovery of the European Union Community, as well as in other countries with similar experience;

WHEREAS, we do not believe that the provisions of the Reproductive Health Bill will really effect in the enhancement of the health of the woman, but on the contrary, the corresponding practice will result in various body problems of women not experienced in the past; 

WHEREAS, as Catholics, we have to be obedient to the teachings of the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church.

NOW, THEREFORE, on motion of Bro. William Ablong, duly seconded by Bro. Lucianito Caseres, LET IT BE RESOLVED, as it is hereby RESOLVED, that the Diocesan Council of the Laity of the Diocese of Dumaguete express to the legislative and executive bodies of the local government units in the Provinces of Negros Oriental and Siquijor which comprise the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Dumaguete, our strong and vigorous OPPOSITION to the passage into law of the Reproductive Health Bill and for this purpose a resounding REPRESENTATION, by copy of this Resolution, is hereby made for our Representatives of the Province of Negros Oriental and Siquijor to present our arguments to the halls of Congress and to vote against the passage of said bill;

 RESOLVED FURTHER, that, should any appearance be necessary before any of the abovementioned government bodies/ officials in order to substantiate our stand, our Spiritual Director and the Vicar General of the Diocese Msgr. Gamaliel Du Tulabing is hereby requested and duly authorized to represent the Diocesan Council of the Laity of the Diocese of Dumaguete for the purpose.

UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.

Pastoral Letter of Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi OP, of Nueva Caceres (Naga)

Statement of Archbishop Legaspi

Pastoral Statement of Archbishop Socrates Villegas versus the RH Bill

Pastoral Statement of the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan on the RH Debate

CHARITY AND CONSCIENCE

ON THE RH DEBATE

Pastoral Statement of the Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan to be read as the homily in all Masses on May 29, 2011, the Sixth Sunday of Easter.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Love is the core of the message of Jesus in today’s gospel. Love is indeed the trademark of the followers of Jesus. The Lord promises further in the gospel that if we choose the path of love and keep His commandments we will never be orphans.

The past few months have seen many of us who belong to the same Church and who share the same faith in Christ at odds with one another on the issue of the reproductive health bill in Congress. It is indeed sad and perhaps even scandalous for non Christians to see the Catholic flock divided among themselves and some members of the Catholic lay faithful at odds with their own pastors. If we fail to have love, we make ourselves orphans.

BRING BACK CHARITY

It is certainly not our intention to add more flame to the fire but rather to make an appeal for the triumph of reason and sobriety. We want to make a plea for greater charity even as we passionately state our positions on this divisive issue. At the end of the heated debates, we will all be winners if we proclaim the truths we believe in with utmost charity, courtesy and respect for one another. Charity is at the heart of the social doctrine of the Church Pope Benedict XVI reminds us. In the first letter of Peter today, he admonishes us today never to be without gentleness and reverence.

RETURN TO CONSCIENCE

We appeal to our Catholic brethren who stand on opposing sides on the reproductive health bill to return to the voice of conscience, to state their positions and rebut their opponents always with charity. Today’s second reading is a call for clarity of conscience beyond reproach. The moral conscience is man’s sanctuary through which the voice of God is heard, that voice that tells us to embrace what is good and reject what is evil. However, conscience is not the ultimate tribunal of morality. Conscience must be formed in the light of truth. Conscience must be enlightened by the Spirit of God. We appeal to both sides engaged in debate to pray, to seek the light of God and allow the voice of an enlightened conscience to prevail. We pray conscience does now allow itself to be swayed by statistics or partisan political positions. The only voice conscience must listen to is the voice of God. The only way for conscience to speak is through the language of Christ-like charity.

RESTORE UNITY

We appeal to our Catholic brethren to remember that the unity of the Church does not only pertain to the acceptance of a set of doctrines. Our Catholic faith has a moral mandate. It is not enough to recite the Apostles’ Creed; we must show that we are Catholics by living by the norms of Catholic morality. We are Catholics by creed and cult and code. We are Catholics in beliefs. We are Catholics in prayer. We are Catholics with one moral life.

In matters of faith, unity; in matters of opinion, liberty; in all things charity!

The issue of contraception belongs to the realm of faith not opinions. Blessed John Paul II repeatedly taught us during his papacy that contraception can never be justified. We must not make wrong right by the sheer force of surveys or legislation by the majority or the convenience of some. People in authority who mislead others on the matter of contraception put themselves in open conflict with the law of God and lead others to sin.

FIGHT ALL CORRUPTIONS

The Church holds close to her heart the dream of everyone to rise out of poverty and live the fullness of life. Pope Paul VI correctly pointed out to us that “the causes of underdevelopment are not primarily of the material order. They lie above all in the will, in the mind and, even more so, in "the lack of brotherhood among individuals and peoples". In other words, the greater cause of underdevelopment is corruption of the soul and corruption of society. Contraception adds to the moral corruption of our society and family.

We all want progress for the nation and for the family of nations. We cannot progress without freedom. Jesus died and rose to set us free. Indeed EDSA 1986 taught us that. But freedom must always be grounded in truth. Freedom is not absolute. Freedom must submit to truth. Freedom without truth is only sentimentalism and will only lead to social laxity.

In fact, ethical relativism eventually leads to totalitarianism. Ethical relativism destroys freedom. Ethical relativism turns freedom into licentiousness. Licentiousness and laxity has destroyed many great civilizations of history. Those who ignore the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them.

CHURCH AS MOTHER

We plead with our officials in government and our friends in media to look at the Church as a partner in the mission of development. The Catholic Church throughout its two thousand year history in the world and almost five hundred years in the Philippines has proven itself as a potent agent for holistic authentic human progress and not an obstacle for development. If the Church issues this stern warning about the reproductive health bill, it is not to impede national progress but to protect our nation from greater harms and tragedies in the generations ahead. On this highly divisive issue, the Church is still a mother protecting her children from greater dangers and moral traps which until now her beloved children are still unable to foresee.

We need God if we want development. Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life for us. There is none like Him. We will be lost without Him. Ignoring Him and setting Him aside in pursuing progress we do only at our own peril.

From the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, May 24, 2011, Feast of Mary Help of Christians.

+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS

Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan

CBCP Statement against "Catholics for RH Bill"

IT came to our knowledge that a group the calls itself “Catholics for Reproductive Health bill” or C4RH has been publicly claiming to be a Catholic association or group whose published mission is “to bring Catholics into full harmony with their faith and realize that there is no dissonance with their being Catholic and simultaneously believing in the advocacy and goals of reproductive health and rights.”

We wish to make it clear that the Church does not recognize this group to be an authentic Catholic association or group since it espouses and supports a stand contrary to the magisterial teachings of the Church. The uncompromising stand of the Church to uphold the dignity of the person and to protect and respect the life from conception to natural death has always been the constant teaching of the Church. Public espousal of measures that directly undermine these non-negotiable principles of the Catholic faith is a sharp wedge that cuts the unity of the Church.

Let it be clarified that the Church does not recognize the “Catholics for Reproductive Health” as a genuine Catholic association or organization in accordance with Canon Law. Any Catholic who freely identifies himself or herself with this group gravely errs.

For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines,

+NEREO P. ODCHIMAR, DD

Bishop of Tandag

President, CBCP

May 17, 2011

Archdiocese of Jaro issues a detailed critique of the RH Bill

The entire text (with illustrations) with a long and very detailed set of criticisms versus the RH Bill can be found on the blog of the Archdiocese of Jaro's Women's Desk:


Rebuttal Against HB 4244



h/t Resty Odon

Catechism on the Reproductive Health Bill by the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo

Catechism on RH Bill

A Catechism on the Reproductive Health Bill

Prepared by the Commission on Family and Life

Diocese of San Pablo

What is the Catechism on the Reproductive Health Bill?

Many issues had been raised in the public square recently which put the Church in the negative light particularly on the overreaching issue of the proposed Reproductive Health Bill (H.B. No. 96) reintroduced in the present Congress with Representative Edcel C. Lagman as its principal author. We believe that most of the criticism leveled against the Church which included the bishops and the clergy in regard to their stand against the bill is based on unfounded and imagined fears and the lack of proper information and understanding of the nature of this measure that prompted the Church to opposed it.

This Catechism was prepared primarily for the lay faithful , the family and life ministries in the different parishes of the Diocese of San Pablo and the clergy to provide them an overview of the salient features of the bill that they may not be aware of, offend the teachings of the Church.

What is the purpose of this Catechism?

The Commission on Family and Life recognizes the urgent need to provide both the clergy and the lay faithful adequate information on the RHB issues and related concerns consistent with the perspective of the Church. With a correct notion and understanding of the crucial issues laid before them, they can hopefully be able to distill erroneous perceptions and discern deliberately distorted information designed to create a favorable view of the bill at the expense of truth.

What is the Reproductive Health Bill ?

The RH Bill purports, as its long title indicate to be “An Act Providing For a National Policy on Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population and Development, and for other Purposes.”

We believe it is nothing but a coercive birth control program masquerading as a reproductive health measure. It seeks a zero population growth rate to be achieved through a massive State-sponsored and publicly funded promotion and distribution of artificial birth control methods, such as contraception – barrier, pills most of which are abortifacients, techniques, and sterilization like vasectomy and tubal ligation.

How do we approach this Bill.

We must not take the bill at its face value. It is more important to know what the bill is not saying, more than what it says and go into the real spirit that animates it than just focus on the nice printed words. The bill is not what its authors say it is, it is everything the authors say it is not. Despite of its seemingly positive tenor (about fostering maternal health, breastfeeding, child care and nutrition) and advertised as pro-poor, we find the bill deeply flawed as being contrary to the Constitution and destructive of public morals and family values.

What is so wrong about the Bill that seeks to alleviate poverty targeting “the poorest of the poor and the marginalized” as its main beneficiaries.?

If it were a sincere and genuine anti-poverty measure, we will certainly support it. But its clear overriding objective is to depopulate the country through an aggressive and coercive artificial means of birth control, pursuing a mandatory sex education program both in private and public schools covering children from Grade 5 up to 4th year high school and spending millions of taxpayers money, most of whom are Catholics – like you to buy “hormonal contraceptives, intrauterine devices, injectables and other safe and effective family planning products and supplies” as essential medicines when pregnancy is not even a disease to be treated. These are intended to foster “a satisfying and safe sex life” thereby inciting promiscuity, courtesy of the Catholic taxpayers.