RH bill voting falls on feast of Lady of Guadalupe

AS Catholics celebrate today the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe— patroness of the Cebu archdiocese and the unborn—the country’s congressmen will vote on whether to pass the Reproductive Health (RH) bill into law.

Several bishops, priests, nuns, and pro-life advocates are expected to flock to the Lower House today to monitor the proceedings.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), urged lawmakers to reflect on the implications of their vote.

“At the heart of all of these is a reminder to the congressmen: Our stay in power is very limited. In the end, history will judge us. We will later on meet with our God face to face,” said Palma.

Palma left for Vietnam last Sunday to attend the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences until Dec. 16.

In Cebu City, hundreds of Marian devotees yesterday joined the foot procession of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe which was placed on a carroza decked with red roses.

The color is the symbol of anti-RH bill movement.

At 10 a.m. today, Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal will preside over the pontifical Mass at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Senora de Virgen de Guadalupe de Cebu.

The Marian devotion started in Mexico.

An image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was given as a baptismal gift by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan to Cebuanos natives in 1521.

The Cebu Archdiocese declared her patroness of the entire island of Cebu 10 years ago.

At 10:30 a.m. today, a Mass for pregnant mothers and the unborn will be held at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in downtown Cebu City. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol