{"id":1874,"date":"2012-12-19T19:40:00","date_gmt":"2012-12-19T19:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/filipino-bishops-will-not-concede-to-reproductive-health-bill\/"},"modified":"2012-12-19T19:40:00","modified_gmt":"2012-12-19T19:40:00","slug":"filipino-bishops-will-not-concede-to-reproductive-health-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/12\/filipino-bishops-will-not-concede-to-reproductive-health-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"Filipino bishops will not concede to ‘reproductive health’ bill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Washington D.C., Dec 19, 2012 \/ 12:40 pm (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Catholic leaders in the Philippines vowed to continue fighting for life, marriage and family as a controversial \u201creproductive health\u201d bill passed both houses of Congress in the country.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIf the President will sign this into law, he will give us a moral time bomb wrapped as a gift to celebrate Christmas,\u201d warned Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas of Lingayen Dagupan.<\/p>\n

\tIn a Dec. 18 statement, the archbishop cautioned that although the bill won the support of majorities in the legislature, this \u201cdoes not mean that they are right.\u201d
\n\t\u00a0
\n\t\u201cIt is only a matter of time and then we will see more violations of \u2018Thou shall not kill\u2019 and \u2018Thou shall not commit adultery\u2019 among our families, our youth and children,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\tArchbishop Villegas called for efforts to strengthen families and marriages, to educate couples about Church teaching on natural family planning and to educate the young \u201cso that they can stand strong against the threats to their moral fiber.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cLet us conduct our own sex education of our children insuring that sex is always understood as a gift of God,\u201d he said. \u201cSex must never be taught separate from God and isolated from marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tOn Dec. 17, both Filipino houses of Congress voted to pass the controversial \u201creproductive health\u201d bill on its third and final reading. The House of Representatives approved the legislation by a vote of 133-79 with seven abstentions, while the Senate passed it by a 13-8 vote with two abstentions.<\/p>\n

\tA bicameral committee will now reconcile the House and Senate versions of the bill before it goes to President Benigno Aquino to be signed into law.<\/p>\n

\tThe lengthy process surrounding the debate over the bill has been highly controversial and included accusations of corruption, bribery and threats to obtain the necessary votes.<\/p>\n

\tThe legislation would require government-sanctioned sex education for adults, middle school and high school children, as well as a population control program that includes fully subsidized contraceptives under government health insurance.<\/p>\n

\tCatholic clergy in the country have vocally opposed the bill and helped temporarily stall its progress, informing voters about the stances of different politicians on the issue.<\/p>\n

\tOpponents of the bill warned that it would contribute to a breakdown of the family and an increase in a contraceptive mentality and sexual immorality. They also voiced concerns over the health risks posed by artificial birth control and the potential of some contraceptives to cause early abortions.
\n\t\u00a0
\n\tCurrently, abortion is illegal in the country, while contraception is available but not funded by the government.<\/p>\n

\tOfficials from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines said they would support efforts by a group of Catholic lawyers to challenge the bill before the nation\u2019s Supreme Court.<\/p>\n

\tThey observed that the nation\u2019s constitution charges the government to protect marriage and family, adding that the bill\u2019s coercive nature amounts to a violation of religious freedom.<\/p>\n

\tIn addition, Catholic leaders renewed their commitment to spreading Church teaching on marriage and family, as well as the dangers posed by contraception.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThe battle is not over,\u201d said Father Shenan J. Boquet, president of Human Life International.<\/p>\n

\tIn a Dec. 17 statement, he decried the passage of the \u201cdestructive bill\u201d as \u201cterrible news for the Philippines and for the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tHe warned that wealthy Westerners are using their money \u201cto exploit the famously corrupt political environment of the last pro-life and pro-family nation in Asia.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tFr. Boquet noted that widespread adoption of contraception within the United States quickly led to calls for fully legalized abortion, increased attacks on the faith and \u201cthe confusion and departure of many of the faithful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe Church cannot accept \u201cfalse compromises,\u201d he stressed, explaining that the Church in the Philippines must \u201credouble her efforts\u201d to continue the fight in the courts and the public square.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cPrayer and fasting remain the greatest weapons in our arsenal,\u201d he added, emphasizing the importance of both as \u201cthe battle enters this new stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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