CBCP says RH is not only a Catholic issue, launches web portal on life, family

The drive against a proposed measure on contraceptives is not just a Catholic issue, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said.

Monsignor Juanito Figura, CBCP Secretary General said it is a fight of many Filipinos who treasure authentic values regarding human life.

According to him, there are many people at the sidelines of the campaign against the bill. It just so happened, he said, that Church statements are the ones being given so much attention.

“The CBCP is only one of those who stand against the bill and we will continue proclaiming as much as we can the Gospel of Life,” Figura said.

Supporters of the bill have been criticizing the CBCP for intervening on state affairs and for meandering on matters of religion.

RH bill principal author Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, for instance, said that the measure “is not about religion” but “about rights.”

But Figura said the CBCP is speaking on “religious point of view” as a basic right stated in the preamble of the Constitution, which is making a reference to God.

“It may be the God of us Christians, maybe the Allah of our Muslim brothers and sisters, the Buddha of the Buddhist, or

anybody transcendental to other religions,” he pointed out.

“But the Almighty had to be there and his teaching had to be listened to and followed. This is the first basis in the Church’s involvement (in the fight against RH bill),” Figura said.

Portal

Figura made the statement during the launching of a web portal of digital materials on life and family on May 25 at the CBCP Conference Room in Intramuros, Manila.

Through the website, www.cbcpforlife.com, the Church hopes to help inform Filipinos on current issues on family and life such as the RH bill.

“This presentation that we have is simple but very powerful indication that the CBCP is not alone in the anti-RH bill campaign,” Figura said.

Monsignor Pedro Quitorio, CBCP Media Office director, said the contents of the website will be provided by various organizations, Catholics and even non-Catholics.

“This is a collaborative work of many institutions and individuals who believe in the worthy cause of building an ‘online databank’ of multimedia resources,” he said.

While archiving, documenting and databanking are the prominent features of the portal, he said, it also has a pool of journalists, bloggers, podcasters and social networkers who are committed to come up with news stories and features on life and the family on a daily basis.

It just shows, Figura said, that the project is “very powerful” manifestation that the Church “is not alone” in protesting the passage of the measure.

“This indicates the solidarity of men and women of goodwill based on religious convictions,” Figura said.

“This solidarity needs no color, no endorsements of particular individuals or groups (because) everybody is welcome here,” he added.

Extension of the pulpit

Quitorio said they decided to make use of the Internet not only because of its wider reach but also because this is where most of the “war against life” is taking place.

“I might be wrong, but about 85 percent of that happens on the internet not really on radio, television or print. You’ll see a lot of that in social networking sites,” he said.

Figura, for his part, explained that the portal is just another avenue for them to preach and spread the word of God.

“This is just one of the avenues through which we can continue to preach…even during the time of Pope Paul VI, he started to call the media as the extension of the pulpit,” he said.

“This is just one of the ways, resources in which the Church continue to spread the word of God. But we’ll continue to make use of the pulpit, meetings and Bible studies…” added Figura.

Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, meantime, urged lawmakers particularly the supporters of the RH bill to visit the website for them to be enlightened on the issue.

“They should visit this portal so they may also see the other side,” he said.

Zambales Rep. Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay also recommended the portal to her fellow lawmakers.

“At least through this website they can discern for themselves. God gave us the power of discernment that’s why it’s important that we enlighten our citizens,” she said. (CBCPNews)

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