THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said they will not enter into any compromise when it comes to the use of condom and other forms of contraceptives.
Monsignor Pedro Quitorio III, CBCP Media Director, said there is simply no compromise when it comes to the Church’s teachings.
“It does not compromise its teachings. If contraceptives are immoral, nothing can change that. If the church teaches that it’s immoral nothing can change that, not even the vote of the whole country can change that,” he said.
He added: “There are some truths that cannot be subjected to compromise or to the majority. It is not subject to the majority.”
Women members of the labor party-list Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) workers and urban poor picketed in front of the CBCP premises in Intramuros, Manila demanding that reproductive health be acknowledged.
The party-list group similarly asked the Catholic bishops to "bless" a set of condoms but they were not successful since no bishop was present at that time.
“We humbly ask the bishops to bless the condoms as a conciliatory gesture to unite for reproductive health and women’s rights,” Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general.
The rallyist also left two baskets of condoms in the CBCP as their gift to the bishops. The condoms were manufactured by DKT and Durex.
The group then urged the government not only to provide contraception but also embark on a nationwide education program through the barangays so that women and men learn the many facets of HIV-Aids, teenage pregnancies, unwanted pregnancies, child spacing and family planning, among other reproductive health concerns.
The rally was part of the group’s activities for women’s day celebration.
The CBCP last month expressed its disgust to the actions made by the Department of Health after it distributed free condoms at the Dangwa Flower market during the Valentine’s Day celebration.
The bishops then called for the resignation of Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, saying the act was immoral.
Aside from calling for Cabral's resignation, the bishops likewise demanded for the total banning of the advertisements on condom in the tri-media as well as in public places. (MSN/Sunnex)