THE Catholic Church is not closing its door on groups that are advocating the use of contraceptives as it is open to discuss the issue with them.
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Media Director Monsignor Pedro Quitorio III said the church is always ready to have a dialogue with anyone supporting the promotion of contraceptives.
“In principle its best if there’s discussion. The communication lines are open. It’s better than building fences,” he said.
Quitorio clarified that it was not the bishops who challenged Acosta to a debate on the effectiveness of condom use in preventing the spread of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) but it was a representative of the Human Life International.
“It was not the CBCP or the bishops who summoned that (debate) rather it was Ligaya Acosta. But it came out in the media as if we were the ones who called for it,” he explained.
But he said they not against any debate, noting that, “on our side we see nothing wrong with that. It’s better to talk than not to talk.”
Last week, the Executive Director of the Human Life International-Pro Life Missionary challenged Health Secretary Esparanza Cabral to a public debate on the issue of condom use.
The issue between the Catholic Church and the health department on condom rekindled after the government agency distributed free condoms on Valentine’s Day in Dangwa, Manila. (FP/Sunnex)