Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Manila (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic Church, pro-life organizations, associations and Christian schools in the Philippines have re-launched the pro-life campaign to block the approval of the "Document on Reproductive Health", recently renamed "Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development Act " which in the coming days will be examined by the Congress and is supported by the President of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino.
The campaign was re-launched in the name of John Paul II, remembered as "the shepherd in defense of life”. As reported to Fides, the Cardinal Archbishop of Manila, Gaudencio Rosales, has begun a "Novena for Life", which will end May 9, date which will open the session of Congress to consider and approve the document . The Cardinal remembered Pope Wojtyla as the "lover of life" and "defender of the unborn child”, noting that in both trips to the Philippines (in 1981 and 1995) the Polish Pope remarked that "nobody has the right to kill an innocent person”.
The “Coalition for Family and Life " has found new life after the beatification of John Paul II for a more effective action in society: in collaboration with the network of pro-life movements and symbols called "Civic alliance for the Protection of human life” has launched an awareness campaign to "save the Philippines from abortion”. The movements believe in fact, that among the measures of "reproductive health and family planning programs, Congress could also introduce in the Document an appeal to abortion, now banned by the Constitution (see Fides 07/04/2011). Activists point out to Fides that the Government of the Philippines has already received about $ 900 million from organizations such as UNFPA, USAID, AUSAID to approve the document, by disguising it under the name of "achievement of the Millennium goals and for programs to alleviate poverty" .
In a step that many observers have called "stalemate" in the relations between Church and state, after the interruption of negotiations, Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro, has proposed a compromise solution, saying: "The best way to say 'no' to the Document on reproductive Health is to say 'yes' to the methods of natural family planning", which really put the emphasis on responsible fatherhood and motherhood. (PA) (05/03/2011)
