Why won’t the Church forgive?
-A A +ATuesday, February 26, 2013
THE Roman Catholic Church hierarchy has threatened to strongly campaign against senatorial candidates who supported the passage of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) law.
Some of these candidates are seeking reelection or are members of the House of Representatives. They are in the lineup of either the administration’s Liberal Party (LP) or the opposition's United Nationalists Alliance (UNA).
The Diocese of Bacolod has come up with a unique form of negative campaigning against these pro-RH candidates. Diocese officials placed the candidates’ names under the group they called “Team Patay,” apparently referring to their stand that encourages the use of artificial methods of family planning.
The Church is strongly opposed to the use of contraceptive pills in pursuit of family planning because it considers these pills as abortifacients.
But while some people consider the artificial method as effective in preventing population explosion, the Church leaders say it leads to abortion, and abortion is killing. That is why the Church calls the pro-RH group of senatorial candidates as Team Patay.
On the other hand, the diocese calls anti-RH bets as Team Buhay. Obviously, the latter group of candidates gets the diocese’s support.
If the Church hierarchy makes good its threat, this means that Church officials and the Church’s affiliate organizations will be actively campaigning against these candidates. In this case, the Church will become partisan. Priests will then use the pulpit for political purposes.
I think we have to remind the Church regarding this constitutional provision: Section 6, Article 2 (Declaration of Principles and State Policies) of the 1987 Constitution states that, “The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable.”
Why would the Church move to blacklist or run after politicians that supported the RH law? Why doesn't it just forgive them? Where is its compassion, understanding and forgiveness? Doesn’t the Church preach forgiveness? Even Jesus Christ forgave those who persecuted him and nailed him to the cross.
The RH bill is already a law unless declared illegal by the Supreme Court. Instead of campaigning against the people who supported it, Church officials should continue their crusade by educating our people about the “negative effect” of the law and the moral issues associated with it. Isn't it prudent and wise for the Church to bring its case to the people instead of engaging in partisan politics?
The discussion on the RH bill while the measure was pending in Congress became political and even emotional. I understand the sentiment of the Church. Its stand is also anchored on the fundamentals, especially on those that deal with our moral fiber.
Ato na lang awhagon ang mga kadagkuan sa Simbahang Katoliko nga ila na lang ilubong sa kalimot ang maong kontrobersoyal nga isyu. Dili nalang unta nila gukdon ang mga tawo nga nagsuporta niini. Ila na lang unta nga pasayloon ug ihatag na lang sa katawhan ang paghukom kun angayan ba nilang sundon kining maong balaod.
Peace mga fathers. Praise the Lord.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on February 27, 2013.
Opinion
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