Our Lady of Antipolo
Defense of the Stand of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on the House Bill 4244 (Reproductive Health Bill)
One
of the main reasons, if not the main reason, why the Catholic Church is
against the House Bill 4244 (Reproductive Health Bill or Responsible
Parenthood Bill) is that the bill directs the government to promote
contraception and to give free contraceptives to people. According to
Father Bernas, SJ (Sounding Board, Philippine Daily Inquirer, May 23,
2011), this opposition of the Church is against religious freedom. He
says that, because of religious freedom, “the state should not prevent
people from practicing responsible parenthood according to their beliefs
nor may churchmen compel President Aquino, by whatever means, to
prevent people from acting according to their religious belief.”
First
of all, by opposing the RH Bill, the Catholic Church is not moving for
the ban of contraceptives (the non-abortifacient ones), although she
would be happy if these contraceptives were banned. At present, in the
Philippines, anyone can buy contraceptives from drugstores and even from
some “convenience stores”. What the Church is against, I repeat, is
that government should promote contraception and provide free
contraceptives to people. Therefore it is wrong to say that the Church
wants the government to “prevent people from practicing responsible
parenthood according to their religious belief” and that the Catholic
churchmen are compelling “President Aquino, by whatever means, to
prevent people from acting according to their religious beliefs.” What
the church does is to try to convince President Aquino and our senators
and congressmen not to enact a law that directs the government to
promote contraception and provide free contraceptives to people.
It
is also good to point out that the church teaching regarding
contraceptives is not based on Faith or revelation, although it is
confirmed by our Faith. This church teaching is based on natural law,
which we know through natural reason. By studying through correct
reasoning the nature of the human person, we arrive at this teaching
regarding contraception. All human beings, Catholic or not, are obliged
to act according to right reason. By the efforts of the Church to go
against the RH Bill, the Church is not imposing her religious beliefs on
others. She is trying to stop a bill which is against natural law, a
law which all human beings, Catholic or not, should follow. The RH Bill,
judged from the principles of natural law, is against the good of the
human person and the common good. The Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith in its “Doctrinal Note regarding the Participation of
Catholics in Political Life” tells us that all citizens, including
Catholics, have the right “to base their contribution to society and
political life – through the legitimate means available to everyone in a
democracy – on their particular understanding of the human person and
the common good.” In a democracy, any group of citizens has the right to
campaign and lobby so that what they consider to be good for the
country are enacted into law and what they deem to be harmful for the
country are not enacted into law.
Father Bernas says further in his column that we live in a pluralist
society. This is true and, therefore, we should respect the beliefs and
opinions of others. But there is a limit to this pluralism. We cannot
accept an “ethical pluralism “which ignores the principles of natural
ethics and yield to ephemeral cultural and moral trends, as if every
outlook on life were of equal value.” (Doctrinal Note on the
Participation of Catholics in Political Life)
Father
Bernas also quotes the Compendum on the Social Teaching of the Catholic
Church: “Because of its historical and cultural ties to a nation, a
religious community might be given special recognition on the part of
the State. Such recognition must in no way create discrimination within
the civil or social order for other religious groups” and “Those
responsible for government are required to interpret the common good of
their country not only according to the guidelines of the majority but
also according to the effective good of all the members of the
community, including the minority.” The Church, by opposing the HB
4244, is “interpreting the common good of the country not only according
to the guidelines of the majority but also according to the effective
good of all the members of the community, including the minority.” In
opposing the bill the Church is interpreting the common good according
to the guidelines of natural law, which is valid for all, the minority
as well as the majority. Benedict XVI says that natural law must be the
foundation of democracy, so that those in power are not given the chance
to determine what is good or evil [Zenit.org. Vatican City, Oct. 5,
2007].
Regarding
freedom, Benedict XVI said in his Address to the International Congress
on Natural Law: “…yet taking into account that human freedom is always a
freedom shared with others, it is clear that the harmony of freedom can
be found only in what is common to all: the truth of the human being,
the fundamental message of being itself, exactly the “lex naturalis.”
GABRIEL V. REYES, D.D.
Bishop of Antipolo
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