The Church on RHB

Hole of Justice

by Peter G. Jimenea

They fear the RHB

The Reproductive Health Bill (RHB) is still pending due to the intercession of the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and supporters. They boldly trumpeted their stiff opposition to the Bill from the Church's pulpit and beyond - to Congress they cannot command.

They are against the use of condoms and oral contraceptives when this is only to prevent an unwanted pregnancy among women. This prevention is not abortion as what Church leaders' claim hinted at. For how can we indict one accused of killing lifeless matters?

Church leaders failed to realize that the calendar method or menstrual period of family planning does not sit well in slum areas. Thus, we need the RHB to curb the fast-growing population that widens the disparity in numbers of the rich and the predominant poor citizens of the country.

The government is having a hard time in providing education, health care and other services to its poor inhabitants. So what's in store for the poor families at the countryside and slum areas with five children and counting? Surely, they will only become future problem of the government.

We are the only country in Asia with majority Christians population. Like the US which is ready to protect Israel from aggression of Muslim and Arab neighbors, the Vatican is also keen on preserving its interest in the only Catholic controlled turf in Asia - the Philippines.

But why did Catholic Church leaders nitpick too much on the State's affair when their own backyards are in shambles? Are they playing deaf and blind to the scattered dirt of their peers? Is it only vested interest that counts most for the Church? If so, no wonder why most of the countries under the Catholic Church domain are poor.

I believe to have found some answers to these questions from two priests who guested in our television talk-show few years ago. When asked if they also give share of Church income to the Vatican, they said yes, unfortunately no disclosure as to percentage.

Since this country was occupied by the Spaniards, under duress they slowly converted the natives into loyal devotees of the Church. The rich soon began to donate vast hectares of lands to the Church aside from money and other material things.

The overriding objective of colonization is the overt doctrine by the Church to natives on the salvation of their souls. But the covert undertaking is for profit regardless of the country's economic destruction. During the advent of the 20's devotees willfully donate tithing during the mass. At this instance, let us consider a peso donation per person.

If the attendance of devotees every Sunday in the whole country is 30 million, four Sundays a month is 120M parishioners. At one peso each, the Church gets P120M collection. Even if the Vatican gets only 10% share, from the Churches' income, it is already P12M per month and twelve million is twelve million.

But the Vatican won't accept peso in Church remittances unless converted into internationally negotiable currency or US dollar (which dictates our economy). In the process the Vatican continues to siphone our dollar reserves monthly, bleeding us for years.

We are only confined here on Church income from Sunday masses excluding the collection from baptismal, wedding and other special Church services. As a matter of fact, we were told by folks during our younger days that the souls of our dead can never go to heaven without a ticket from the Church - for a fee!

The RHB does not only dwell on population control which probably, has irked the Catholic Church leaders who believe that more birth of parishioners is more income. They were unable to figure out how beneficial is the RHB to parents and women of the majority poor families of this country today.

Its provisions about responsible parenthood and the limit in number of children by a family maybe a lowest cost-program of the government but its priceless-legacy will remain useful from generation to generation. Pragmatism and common sense dictate that sometimes we have to set-aside the debatable views we all share to give way to valuable matters of public concern and general welfare.