Pastoral Statement of the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan on the RH Debate

CHARITY AND CONSCIENCE ON THE RH DEBATE

Pastoral Statement of the Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan to be read as the homily in all Masses on May 29, 2011, the Sixth Sunday of Easter. (Pangasinan Translation can be found at the end of the statement)

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Love is the core of the message of Jesus in today’s gospel. Love is indeed the trademark of the followers of Jesus. The Lord promises further in the gospel that if we choose the path of love and keep His commandments we will never be orphans.

The past few months have seen many of us who belong to the same Church and who share the same faith in Christ at odds with one another on the issue of the reproductive health bill in Congress. It is indeed sad and perhaps even scandalous for non Christians to see the Catholic flock divided among themselves and some members of the Catholic lay faithful at odds with their own pastors. If we fail to have love, we make ourselves orphans.

BRING BACK CHARITY

It is certainly not our intention to add more flame to the fire but rather to make an appeal for the triumph of reason and sobriety. We want to make a plea for greater charity even as we passionately state our positions on this divisive issue. At the end of the heated debates, we will all be winners if we proclaim the truths we believe in with utmost charity, courtesy and respect for one another. Charity is at the heart of the social doctrine of the Church Pope Benedict XVI reminds us. In the first letter of Peter today, he admonishes us today never to be without gentleness and reverence.

RETURN TO CONSCIENCE

We appeal to our Catholic brethren who stand on opposing sides on the reproductive health bill to return to the voice of conscience, to state their positions and rebut their opponents always with charity. Today’s second reading is a call for clarity of conscience beyond reproach. The moral conscience is man’s sanctuary through which the voice of God is heard, that voice that tells us to embrace what is good and reject what is evil. However, conscience is not the ultimate tribunal of morality. Conscience must be formed in the light of truth. Conscience must be enlightened by the Spirit of God. We appeal to both sides engaged in debate to pray, to seek the light of God and allow the voice of an enlightened conscience to prevail. We pray conscience does now allow itself to be swayed by statistics or partisan political positions. The only voice conscience must listen to is the voice of God. The only way for conscience to speak is through the language of Christ-like charity.

RESTORE UNITY

We appeal to our Catholic brethren to remember that the unity of the Church does not only pertain to the acceptance of a set of doctrines. Our Catholic faith has a moral mandate. It is not enough to recite the Apostles’ Creed; we must show that we are Catholics by living by the norms of Catholic morality. We are Catholics by creed and cult and code. We are Catholics in beliefs. We are Catholics in prayer. We are Catholics with one moral life.

In matters of faith, unity; in matters of opinion, liberty; in all things charity!

The issue of contraception belongs to the realm of faith not opinions. Blessed John Paul II repeatedly taught us during his papacy that contraception can never be justified. We must not make wrong right by the sheer force of surveys or legislation by the majority or the convenience of some. People in authority who mislead others on the matter of contraception put themselves in open conflict with the law of God and lead others to sin.

FIGHT ALL CORRUPTIONS

The Church holds close to her heart the dream of everyone to rise out of poverty and live the fullness of life. Pope Paul VI correctly pointed out to us that “the causes of underdevelopment are not primarily of the material order. They lie above all in the will, in the mind and, even more so, in “the lack of brotherhood among individuals and peoples”. In other words, the greater cause of underdevelopment is corruption of the soul and corruption of society. Contraception adds to the moral corruption of our society and family.

We all want progress for the nation and for the family of nations. We cannot progress without freedom. Jesus died and rose to set us free. Indeed EDSA 1986 taught us that. But freedom must always be grounded in truth. Freedom is not absolute. Freedom must submit to truth. Freedom without truth is only sentimentalism and will only lead to social laxity.

In fact, ethical relativism eventually leads to totalitarianism. Ethical relativism destroys freedom. Ethical relativism turns freedom into licentiousness. Licentiousness and laxity has destroyed many great civilizations of history. Those who ignore the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them.

CHURCH AS MOTHER

We plead with our officials in government and our friends in media to look at the Church as a partner in the mission of development. The Catholic Church throughout its two thousand year history in the world and almost five hundred years in the Philippines has proven itself as a potent agent for holistic authentic human progress and not an obstacle for development. If the Church issues this stern warning about the reproductive health bill, it is not to impede national progress but to protect our nation from greater harms and tragedies in the generations ahead. On this highly divisive issue, the Church is still a mother protecting her children from greater dangers and moral traps which until now her beloved children are still unable to foresee.

We need God if we want development. Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life for us. There is none like Him. We will be lost without Him. Ignoring Him and setting Him aside in pursuing progress we do only at our own peril.

From the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, May 24, 2011, Feast of Mary Help of Christians.

+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS

Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan

——————————————————————-

PANGASINAN TRANSLATION

PANANGARO TAN KONSIENSIA ED DEBATE NA RH BILL

Pastoral Statement of the Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan to be read as the homily in all Masses on May 29, 2011, the Sixth Sunday of Easter.

Pinablik iran agagi ed Kristo:

Say panangaro so walad utel na mensahe nen Jesus ed say Ibanghilyo natan. Say panangaro so twan tanda na saray mananombok nen Kristo. Walay sipan na Katawan diad ibanghilyo ya no pilien tayo so dalan na panangaro tan tooren tayo ray ganggan to, ag itayon balot magmaliw ya olila.

Diad saray apalabas ya pigaran bulan et anengneng ed saray dakerakel ya kabiangan na saksakey a Simbaan tan minanabang ed saksakey a pananisia ed Kristo so mansusumlangan nipaakar ed say isyu na reproductive health bill diad Kongreso. Saya so twan makapaermen tan ingen makapa-iskandalo para saray aliwan Kristiano ya makakanengneng ed saray dibisyon na saray Katoliko, tan saray arum  a Katolikon laiko so walay sumlangan dad saray pastol da. No agtayo mangaro, pagmamaliwen tayon olila so dili tayo.

IPAWIL SO PANANGARO

Anggapod getma tayon aruman a parlangan so apoy, no ag say panpikakasi tayo ya mantalongaring komon so dunong tan kareenan. Labay mi so mikasi para say mas baleg a panangaro, anggaman masimoon min ipapalapag so posisyon mi nipaakar ed sayan isyun mangiiter na dibisyon. Kasumpal na sarayan ampetang a sangsangan, sikatayon amin so mantalongaring no ibelyaw tayo so katwaan ya panisian tayo a katekep na panangaro, respeto tan pamagalang ed balang sakey. Say panangaro so walad puso na social doctrine na Simbaan. Saya so ipapanunot nen Santo Papa Benedicto XVI ed sikatayo. Diad unaan a sulat nen Pedro, mangiiter na simbawa ed sikatayo si Pedro ya ag balot komon itayo naandian na kasimpitan tan pamagalang.

SAY IPAWIL ED KONSIENSYA

Manpipikasi kami ed saray agagi min Katoliko ya walad nanduroman dapag nipaakar ed say Reproductive Health Bill ya ompawil ed say bosis na konsiensia, ipalapag day posisyon da tan ebatan da ray walad duman dapag a katekep toy panangaro. Say kumadwan babasaen natan so manatawag na kalinewan na konsiensia ya anggapoy pakabalawan. Say konsiensia ya moral so ayaman na too ya pakarengelan na bosis na Dios. Sayan bosis so mangibabagan lakapen tayo no anto so kamaungan tan ipolisay tayo so kaugsan. Balet, say konsiensia so aliwan sampot ya okoman na moralidad. Nepeg a say konsiensia so naliwawaan na katwaan. Say konsiensia so nepeg ya naliwawaan na Ispirito na Dios tan abuloyan ya say bosis na aliwawaan ya konsiensia so tumboken. Manpipikasi kami ya say konsiensia so ag komon natenyeg na statistiko odino say posisyon na partisan politics. Say saksakey ya bosis ya dengelen labat na konsiensia et say bosis na Dios. Say saksakey ya pansalita na konsiensia et nepeg unong ed say panagsalita na panangaro nen Kristo.

IPAWIL SO PANKAKASAKEY

Manpipikasi  kami ed saray agagi min Katoliko ya ag da lilingwanan ya say pankakasakey na Simbaan et aliwa labat nipaakar ed say pangawat na saray doktrina. Say Katolikon pananisia et walay kabiangan ton ganggan nipaakar ed say moralidad. Agto sarag ya amta tayon dasalen labat so “Manisia ak”; nepeg ya ipapanengneng tayon sikatayo et Katoliko diad panamegley na pangibibilay tayo ed saray Katolikan moralidad. Sikatayo so Katoliko unong ed say pananisia, panangidayew tan moralidad. Katoliko tayo ed saray pananisia tayo. Katoliko tayo ed panagdasal tayo. Katoliko tayo ed say saksakey a panagbilay tayo na  moralidad.

Diad nipaakar ed pananisa, pankakasakey; diad nipaakar ed opinyon, kawayangan; diad nipaakar ed amin ya bengatla, panangaro!

Say isyu nipaakar ed contraception et walad sayakop na pananisia aliwan opinyon. Inulit-olit ya inbangat nen Beato Juan Pablo Segundo nipaakar ed say anggapoy katonongan na contraception. Ag nepeg ya pagmaliwen tayon matunong so aliwa unong ed say pakayari na saray surveys odino diad panggaway ley na mas dakel odino unong ed say pakainawaan labat na arum. Saray totoon walad pakayari ya mamapalikdo ed arum nipaakar ed say contraception so aawiten day dili ran onsusumlang ed say ley na Dios tan tatanguyoren daray arum ed kasalanan.

LABANAN SO AMIN A CORRUPTION

Asingger ed puso na Simbaan so pirawat na amin ya ombangon ed kairapan tan nagamuran so kagnapan na bilay. Twan intoro na Santo Papa Pablo VI ya “saray rason no akin walay underdevelopment et aliwan manunaan lapud say materyal ya kipapasen.” Diad arum ya pangibaga, say mas nin rason na underdevelopment et corruption na kamarerwa tan corruption na sociedad. Makaaro-arum ni so contraception ed say corruption na moralidad na sociedad tayo tan say pamilya.

Labay tayon amin ya say bansa tayo tan say pamilya na mundo so onaliguas. Agtayo maka-aliguas no anggapoy kawayangan. Inatey si Jesus ed krus tan inmolid bilay pian inter toy kawayangan tayo. Saya so bangat na EDSA nen 1986. Balet nepeg ya say lamot na kawayangan et naalmo ed katwaan. Aliwan nagnap so kawayangan. Nepeg ya panlinkuran na kawayangan so katwaan. Say kawayangan ya anggpo ed katwaan et aliling toy liknaan labat. Saya so manbunga na mapaolyan ed moralidad diad sociedad tayo.

Say twa, say ethical relativism so manbunga na totalitarianism. Deralen na ethical relativism so kawayangan. Lapud ethical relativism, say kawayangan so magmaliw a karumsisan. Say karumsisan tan mapaolyan ed moralidad o laxity so nanderal na dakel tan datin mabiskeg iran civilizations. Saray ag mangasikaso na lingo na akauna nen sikara so kapalaran dan mauges ya man-ulit ed saraya.

SAY SIMBAAN A SAKEY YA INA

Manpipikasi kami ed saray opisyales na gobierno tan saray kakaaro tayod media ya mi-kabiangan ed say Simbaan diad misyon na paka-aliguas na bilay o development. Say Simbaan Katolika diad dwan libon taon to la diad mundo tan masulok ya liman lasus diad Pilipinas et nipanengneng to la ya say Sikato et mabiskeg ya instrumento na matwan aliguas na too tan sikato so aliwan makasebel ed aliguas na bilay. Diad sayan isyu ya mangiiter na baleg a dibision, say Simbaan ni so sakey ya ina ya mangilalaban ed saray anak to ed saray mas baleg ya kaatapan tan patit a moral ya anggad natan saray pinablin anak to et agdani naneneng-neng.

Nakaukolan tayo so Dios no labay tayo so onaliguas. Si Jesus labat so Dalan, say saksakey ya Katwaan, say bokor a Bilay tayo. Anggapo la so mipara ed Sikato. Nabalang tayo no anggapo’y Jesus ed sikatayo. Diad dilin pakarisgo so onsabid sikatayo no gamuren tayo so aliguas ya  paolyanan tan ipireg tayo si Jesus.

Diad Katedral nen San Juan Evangelista, Mayo 24, 2011, Fiesta nen Maria, Mananulong na saray Kristiano.

+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS Arsobispo na Lingayen-Dagupan

Bakit ayaw namin sa RH Bill?

No to RH Bill

CBCP Statement: Choosing Life, Rejecting the RH Bill

(A Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines)

Our Filipino Brothers and Sisters:

The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights (Art. II, Section 11). The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception (Art. II, Section 12).

Background

We begin by citing the Philippine Constitution. We do so because we intend to write you on the basis of the fundamental ideals and aspirations of the Filipino people and not on the basis of specifically Catholic religious teachings.

We are at a crossroads as a nation. Before us are several versions of a proposed bill, the Reproductive Health bill or sanitized as a Responsible Parenthood bill. This proposed bill in all its versions calls us to make a moral choice: to choose life or to choose death.

At the outset we thank the government for affording us an opportunity to express our views in friendly dialogue. Sadly our dialogue has simply revealed how far apart our respective positions are. Therefore, instead of building false hopes, we wish at the present time to draw up clearly what we object to and what we stand for.

Moral Choices at the Crossroads -- at EDSA I and Now

Twenty five years ago in 1986 we Catholic Bishops made a prophetic moral judgment on political leadership. With this prophetic declaration we believe that we somehow significantly helped open the door for EDSA I and a window of political integrity.

Today we come to a new national crossroads and we now have to make a similar moral choice. Our President rallied the country with the election cry, “Kung walang corrupt walang mahirap.” As religious leaders we believe that there is a greater form of corruption, namely, moral corruption which is really the root of all corruption. On the present issue, it would be morally corrupt to disregard the moral implications of the RH bill.

This is our unanimous collective moral judgment: We strongly reject the RH bill.

Commonly Shared Human and Cultural Values – Two Fundamental Principles

Far from being simply a Catholic issue, the RH bill is a major attack on authentic human values and on Filipino cultural values regarding human life that all of us have cherished since time immemorial.

Simply stated the RH Bill does not respect moral sense that is central to Filipino cultures. It is the product of the spirit of this world, a secularist, materialistic spirit that considers morality as a set of teachings from which one can choose, according to the spirit of the age. Some it accepts, others it does not accept. Unfortunately, we see the subtle spread of this post-modern spirit in our own Filipino society.

Our position stands firmly on two of the core principles commonly shared by all who believe in God:

(1) Human life is the most sacred physical gift with which God, the author of life, endows a human being. Placing artificial obstacles to prevent human life from being formed and being born most certainly contradicts this fundamental truth of human life. In the light of the widespread influence of the post-modern spirit in our world, we consider this position as nothing less than prophetic. As religious leaders we must proclaim this truth fearlessly in season and out of season.

(2) It is parents, cooperating with God, who bring children into the world. It is also they who have the primary inalienable right and responsibility to nurture them, care for them, and educate them that they might grow as mature persons according to the will of the Creator.

What We Specifically Object to in the RH Bill

Advocates contend that the RH bill promotes reproductive health. The RH Bill certainly does not. It does not protect the health of the sacred human life that is being formed or born. The very name “contraceptive” already reveals the anti-life nature of the means that the RH bill promotes. These artificial means are fatal to human life, either preventing it from fruition or actually destroying it. Moreover, scientists have known for a long time that contraceptives may cause cancer. Contraceptives are hazardous to a woman’s health.

Advocates also say that the RH bill will reduce abortion rates. But many scientific analysts themselves wonder why prevalent contraceptive use sometimes raises the abortion rate. In truth, contraceptives provide a false sense of security that takes away the inhibition to sexual activity. Scientists have noted numerous cases of contraceptive failure. Abortion is resorted to, an act that all religious traditions would judge as sinful. “Safe sex” to diminish abortion rate is false propaganda.

Advocates moreover say that the RH bill will prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. This goes against the grain of many available scientific data. In some countries where condom use is prevalent, HIV/ AIDS continues to spread. Condoms provide a false security that strongly entices individuals towards increased sexual activity, increasing likewise the incidence of HIV/AIDS. “Safe sex” to prevent HIV /AIDS is false propaganda.

Advocates also assert that the RH Bill empowers women with ownership of their own bodies. This is in line with the post-modern spirit declaring that women have power over their own bodies without the dictation of any religion. How misguided this so-called “new truth” is! For, indeed, as created by God our bodies are given to us to keep and nourish. We are stewards of our own bodies and we must follow God’s will on this matter according to an informed and right conscience. Such a conscience must certainly be enlightened and guided by religious and moral teachings provided by various religious and cultural traditions regarding the fundamental dignity and worth of human life.

Advocates also say that the RH bill is necessary to stop overpopulation and to escape from poverty. Our own government statistical office has concluded that there is no overpopulation in the Philippines but only the over-concentration of population in a number of urban centers. Despite other findings to the contrary, we must also consider the findings of a significant group of renowned economic scholars, including economic Nobel laureates, who have found no direct correlation between population and poverty. In fact, many Filipino scholars have concluded that population is not the cause of our poverty. The causes of our poverty are: flawed philosophies of development, misguided economic policies, greed, corruption, social inequities, lack of access to education, poor economic and social services, poor infrastructures, etc. World organizations estimate that in our country more than P400 billion pesos are lost yearly to corruption. The conclusion is unavoidable: for our country to escape from poverty, we have to address the real causes of poverty and not population.

In the light of the above, we express our clear objections:

1. We object to the non-consideration of moral principles, the bedrock of law, in legislative discussions of bills that are intended for the good of individuals and for the common good.

2. We are against the anti-life, anti-natal and contraceptive mentality that is reflected in media and in some proposed legislative bills.
3. We object strongly to efforts at railroading the passage of the RH bill.

4. We denounce the over-all trajectory of the RH bill towards population control.

5. We denounce the use of public funds for contraceptives and sterilization.

6. We condemn compulsory sex education that would effectively let parents abdicate their primary role of educating their own children, especially in an area of life – sexuality – which is a sacred gift of God.

What We Stand For

On this matter of proposed RH bills, these are our firm convictions:

1. We are deeply concerned about the plight of the many poor, especially of suffering women, who are struggling for a better life and who must seek it outside of our country, or have recourse to a livelihood less than decent.

2. We are pro-life. We must defend human life from the moment of conception or fertilization up to its natural end.

3. We believe in the responsible and natural regulation of births through Natural Family Planning for which character building is necessary which involves sacrifice, discipline and respect for the dignity of the spouse.

4. We believe that we are only stewards of our own bodies. Responsibility over our own bodies must follow the will of God who speaks to us through conscience.

5. We hold that on the choices related to the RH bill, conscience must not only be informed but most of all rightly guided through the teachings of one’s faith.

6. We believe in the freedom of religion and the right of conscientious objection in matters that are contrary to one’s faith. The sanctions and penalties embodied in the proposed RH bill are one more reason for us to denounce it.

Our Calls

As religious leaders we have deeply and prayerfully reflected on this burning issue. We have unanimously made the moral judgment – to reject the RH agenda and to choose life.

1. We call for a fundamental transformation of our attitudes and behavior towards all human life especially the most defenseless, namely, human life being formed or being conceived. The cheapness with which many seem to consider human life is a great bane to our religious-oriented nation.

2. We call upon our legislators to consider the RH bill in the light of the God-given dignity and worth of human life and, therefore, to shelve it completely as contrary to our ideals and aspirations as a people. We thank our legislators who have filed bills to defend human life from the moment of conception and call upon all other legislators to join their ranks.

3. We thank the great multitude of lay people all over the country, and particularly the dedicated groups who made their presence felt in the halls of Congress, to defend and promote our position. We call upon other lay people and adherents of other religions to join the advocacy to defend and promote our commonly shared ideals and aspirations.

4. We call on our government to address effectively the real causes of poverty such as corruption, lack of social and economic services, lack of access to education and the benefits of development, social inequities.

5. We call for the establishment of more hospitals and clinics in the rural areas, the deployment of more health personnel to provide more access to health services, the building of more schools, the provision of more aid to the poor for education, and the building of more and better infrastructures necessary for development.

6. We echo the challenge we prophetically uttered 25 years ago at EDSA I and call upon all people of good will who share our conviction: “…let us pray together, reason together, decide together, act together, always to the end that the truth prevail” over the many threats to human life and to our shared human and cultural values.

We commend our efforts against the RH bill (or the Responsible Parenthood bill – its new name) to the blessing of our almighty and loving God, from whom all life comes and for whom it is destined.

For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

+NEREO P. ODCHIMAR, D.D.
Bishop of Tandag
President, CBCP
January 30, 2011