Monday, September 22, 2008 Ozamiz archbishop campaigns vs pro-RH bill
AFTER proposing to ban lawmakers who are supporting the Reproductive Health (RH) bill from receiving communion, Ozamiz Archbishop Jesus Dosado has now moved to campaign against these politicians in the coming 2010 polls.
In a pastoral letter released Sunday, Dosado called on the people to reject politicians who will throw their support behind the controversial bill, called by the Catholic Church as an anti-life bill, in the next electorate.
"I asked those responsible of these bills not to receive the Holy Communion and that the Church uses its rights to urge her flock not to vote for politicians who endorsed the reproductive health bills," Dosado wrote.
Last July, the prelate issued a similar pastoral letter discouraging Catholic congressmen supportive of the RH bill "not to present themselves for Holy Communion."
The Catholic Church has been strongly opposing the passage of the bill that promotes the use of artificial contraceptives, which the clergy has found to be an abortifacient or tantamount to causing abortion.
The bill, sponsored by Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, is currently up for second reading at the House of Representatives.
The Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL) of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) chaired by Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, however, insisted that the matter is not a battle between politicians and the Church.
Asked who could be placing political flavor in the debate regarding the bill, Aniceto said it is definitely not the CBCP.
"Those who politicize this are the authors. The 2010 elections is nearing. They could probably use this for their own political agendas. I don't know. I am not judging but because they are politicians, it could be possible that this is included in their agenda," the prelate added.
ECFL Executive Secretary Fr. Melvin Castro meanwhile said that the pro-life advocates are set to bring a larger contingent at the House plenary debates, which is set to continue this week.
The move, said Castro, was based on their being outnumbered by the pro-RH bill contingent that was present in the series of heated debates last week.
"During the first plenary, last Tuesday, our number was about 100 but our numbers went down the following days. While supporters of the RH bill were more organized and numbered about 500," he said.
Castro said they hope to gather more supporters from other dioceses, aside from those who came from the Diocese of Novaliches.
"We need more warm bodies there...We would come out as a stronger group," Castro said, adding that they are set to continue their prayer vigils until Congress goes on recess on October 10.
CBCP President Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, for his part, praised lawmakers who have been unwavering in their support to the cause of pro-life groups in opposing the passage of the bill.
He insisted that the passage of an anti-life bill is against the moral teachings of God and the Church. (MSN/Sunnex)
