Church: Let’s paint country red vs RH bill

Let the entire country turn red.

The Catholic Church on Thursday urged the faithful to tie a million red ribbons across the Philippines as a sign of protest against the reproductive health (RH) law.

Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said lay groups were behind the One Million Red Ribbons for Life and Family Movement, which will be launched Friday as the Church marks the Feast of the Holy Innocents.

“Merry Red Ribbon Christmas and Happy Red Ribbon New Year. Let us show the RH people that we will not take the signing of the bill into law sitting down,” said Arguelles.

“All prolifers, continue the fight. Tie red ribbons on cars, bags, gates, posts, schools, churches and everywhere life is threatened,” he said.

Church-run Radio Veritas said the movement will be launched with a “holy rosary” rally at the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Pagsanjan, Laguna, Friday afternoon.

Among the speakers at the rally will be Fr. Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Family and Life.

“This is a laity initiative which I wholeheartedly support,” Arguelles said.

Prolife Philippines president Eric Manalang said the movement would show President Aquino that Catholics would not merely shrug off his signing the RH bill into law.

“The idea is to show the RH President that his signing the bill into law will not be taken sitting down and he needs to veto it,” said Manalang.