Catholic groups pray against passage of population bill
By Katherine Evangelista
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 00:01:00 07/26/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Some 12,000 members of “pro-life” groups convened on the parade grounds of the University of Santo Tomas Friday to protest a bill in Congress seeking to control population growth in the Philippines.
Led by Catholic Bishops’ of the Philippines president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, the prayer rally coincided with the celebration of the 40th year anniversary of the Humane Vitae, the encyclical letter of Pope Paul VI on the regulation of birth during his papacy.
Dubbed the "Rally for Life," the event was a nationwide campaign opposing the House bill filed by Representative Edcel Lagman and co-authored by Janet Garin legalizing the use of contraceptives in family planning, in an effort to curb population growth in the Philippines.
In his homily, Lagdameo said House bill titled “Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008” would not solve the problem of population growth.
Instead, he said the proposed measure would only undermine the dignity of marriage and put in danger women, saying artificial contraceptives cause physical and psychological harms.
Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales likened the passing of the controversial reproductive health bill to the murder of innocent babies during the time of King Herod.
In his statement after the mass, Rosales insisted that discipline should be practiced by couples when it comes to sex.
In Sorsogon City, about a hundred high school and college students and Catholic religious organizations joined a march rally to oppose the bill.
During a brief program, Monsignor Francisco Monje of the Diocese of Sorsogon challenged the government to address the problem of population and poverty by not taking the life of the unborn.
The march, that started from the Our Lady of Fatima church at Rizal Street and ended at the Sorsogon Cathedral, was joined by students from the St. Louise de Marillac School and the Aemilianum College and some religious organizations. With Roy Gersalia, Inquirer Southern Luzon
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