Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Catholic bishop says Church promoting only what is ‘moral’

A Catholic archbishop on Tuesday shot down allegations that the Church is blackmailing members of the country’s legislature who are pushing for the passage of birth control measures.

Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles maintained that the Catholic Church is not campaigning for or against a certain person but promoting what is moral.

“We are not condemning just anybody but we are condemning bills [that are against the teaching of the Church] because these will eventually become the law of the land,” Arguelles told ABS-CBN’s “Umagang Kay Ganda.”

Arguelles said the bishops are holding dialogues with legislators to explain the stand of the Catholic Church on issues of family planning and contraceptives.

Reports said the dialogues are part of the intensified efforts of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to mobilize its forces to campaign against birth control proposals pending in Congress.

‘Not blackmail, only pressure’

The Lipa archbishop, however, said urging the flock not to support those who are promoting “anti-life” bills and policies that are against the teachings of the Church is not called blackmail.

“I guess you can call that pressure but our congressmen are always being pressured by different groups like for example the USAID (United States Agency for International Development), which provides financial assistance to the country,” he said.

The Catholic Church is lobbying before congressmen so that it can explain its stand on controversial issues, he added.

Arguelles also denied that the Catholic Church is misinforming the public about birth control issues but he warned that the passage of reproductive health policy might eventually lead to bills on abortion and euthanasia.

Based on past experience in Congress, the Church has always objected to bills on family planning, population management and reproductive health. Legislators make a hasty retreat and the bills are archived, only to be resurrected at some time. And the cycle begins.

Already, one legislator has pulled out his support for the reproductive health bill principally sponsored by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman. Rep. Mark Llandro Mendoza, according to Arguelles, had a “change of heart” and had “apologized” for his position.

While there is no Catholic vote as proven by surveys, it is acknowledged that the Church can help break the career of a politician.

On the case of Mendoza, Arguelles said the representative from the 4th district of Batangas withdrew his support from the reproductive health bill “because he listened to his constituents.”

Arguelles also said once Mendoza realized that all representatives from Batangas were pro-life the congressman had decided to change his position on reproductive health issue.

“I can guarantee and I told that to my brother bishops that all lawmakers in Batangas are pro-life,” he said.
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