Filipino Catholics pray and fast against birth control bill

(Nov. 05, 2012) The Catholic Church of the Philippines is calling on the faithful to fast and pray for life. It is also calling on the Filipino Congress and President Aquino not to introduce the Reproductive Health Bill. The new law would impose fines on people who have two or more children and proposes the widespread use of contraceptives. The call from the Church follows an announcement by the president on Monday, urging Members of the House of Representatives from his coalition to speed up procedures to approve the law.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila, and 15 other prelates on Tuesday have called on Members of Congress "to follow their conscience and give discussions time, especially on an issue that touches the future of each Filipino family." If the law is adopted, it will give the green light to the use of abortion pills and will make sex education mandatory in all the country's schools, including Catholic schools, without the right to opt out on grounds of conscience. . Under current rules, the law must be examined three times in the upper house before a vote can be taken. On behalf of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Archbishop Gabriel Reyes of Antipolo and chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life, urged the government to conduct more consultations on such a delicate topic.