Rh Bill: Why Is the Church Against It?

Why is the Catholic Church against the Reproductive Health Bill?

Many so-called reproductive health bills contain provisions for abortion. The Catholic Church believes that abortion is a serious offense against the sanctity of all human life, that the infant in the womb deserves the same rights and protections that we all enjoy, and therefore opposes legislative or administrative measures that promote this procedure. The Catholic Church is not in favor of the Reproductive Health Bill because artificial contraceptives could possibly lead to promiscuity and the failure of implantation of a newly conceived baby if fertilization would happen to take place despite their use. These acts would be against Natural Moral Law.

On the other hand, the Catholic Church is not in favor of “natalism” at all costs, as if the “number” of children, in itself, were the unmistakable sign of authentic Christian life. Instead the Church is for responsible parenthood, meaning openness to life within marriage, and spacing of birth, only when needed for reasons of serious medical condition or grave poverty, using natural family planning methods. THE word immoral is used to describe a behavior not in conformity with accepted standards or principles; wicked; and lewd. This is how the Catholic Church see the controversial “Reproductive Health and Population Development Bill” or RH Bill that is still being debated at the Lower House of Representatives.

House Bill 5043 or the Reproductive Health Bill and Population Development Act of 2008 (RH Bill) seeks government funding for population management programs that would provide reproductive health education and give access to both natural and artificial family planning methods to all Filipinos. Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Ladman, primary author of the bill, earlier said the main focus of the RH bill is “the exercise of freedom of informed choice by women and couples on what method of family planning they want to adopt”. In short, its main goal is to reduce the population by reducing pregnancies. Much has been argued about by the multi-faceted issue of reproductive health — mostly religious and political in nature.

Nonetheless, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has taken a firm stand on the reproductive health bill because its provisions are anti-family and anti-life. Monsignor Paul Cuizon, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Davao and parish priest of Sta. Ana Church, said the anti-RH Bill stand is not just of the CBCP’s but of the universal Catholic Church.”It has been the constant teaching of the Church. It is contained in the Encyclical letter of the late Pope Paul VI called Humanae Vitae. It’s not just about the union of the husband and wife.

The union sould always be open to life,” Monsignor Cuizon said referring to Humanae Vitae (meaning “of human life”) which describes a morally licit sexual act as one that involves both procreative and uniting elements. “Artificial contraception eliminates the possibility of a pro-creative element,” Mosignor Cuizon. “Kung hindi kasi open to life, the sexual intercourse would just be like for the human satisfaction and pleasure. When you engage in the sexual act, that means you are ready to take the responsibility.

The natural law is pro creation.” Most feminist groups argue that reproductive choice is essential to authentic women’s liberation and that this choice includes safe, available, affordable contraception. Cuizon, however, said the use of contraception is already cutting off the union and the pro-creation. The Catholic Church maybe against RH Bill but they are just misunderstanding that the government is against early pregnancy and the spread of diseases.

Bibliography ;
www.fightrhbill.blogspot.com
www.sunstar.com.ph
www.sunstar.com.ph