Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Materialism root of infidelity — Cardinal

A ranking official of the Catholic Church blames materialism for the number of cases of infidelity among married couples in the country.

“This is a product of the times — this materialism of the people. People give more importance to pleasure and luxury,” Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said in an interview after attending a gathering in Intramuros.


“In a sense that’s a new idol… the people are now after pleasure, money, sensuality, sexuality. That has become their god,” he added.


Aside from infidelity, other problems that the Cardinal noted are cases of live-in couples and man-to-man relationship, among others.


Rosales said, however, that such phenomenon is not only happening in the Philippines but in other countries as well.


“It’s a significant phenomenon. The Philippines is merely following. This is being peddled by Hollywood and the like. That is the new industry now to attract the selfishness of the people,” he said.


Cardinal Rosales then cited the need for the people to be reminded of the Word of God.


“We have to, in a sense, give a new alternative that this is not how man should leave. Man was not created for simple luxury, simple pleasure. Man was created in order to live according to the image, goodness and love of God. Maybe we forgot this,” he said.


“We need to go back and see the value of the Word of God. Cultivate the culture that is God-centered. The kind of culture that knows how to love and fear the Lord and respect life,” added Rosales.


He said he believes this is still possible in the country.


“I think slowly it can be done. Before we were in that kind of a world – others might say that this is no longer relevant, but I tell you the time will come when the world is already in turmoil we will all go back to God,” said Rosales.


Meanwhile, Cardinal Rosales said that morality cannot be legislated amid the raging debate on the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill.


“You don’t have to dictate on morals. Morals are guided, of course, by the Word of God, by the Lord Jesus Christ (but) they cannot be legislated,” he said in an interview after a gathering in Manila.


Rosales said every person has the right to decide what is right for him.


“There will be a meeting point. I’m sure of these things because basically, it’s a right of every person, especially a human person to decide what is good for him,” he said.


The Catholic Church has been opposing the RH bill due to its promotion of artificial contraception, among others. The Church is for natural family planning.


Earlier, it was reported that President Benigno S. Aquino III has decided to come up with his own version of the RH bill called the “responsible parenthood” (RP) bill which his Cabinet will draft, based on the RH bills and the suggestions of the religious sector.


The President is expected to present the RP bill and other priority bills to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) later this month.

SIC: MB/INT'L