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CBCP chief: No threat of excommunication vs Aquino


The head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has denied threatening to excommunicate President Benigno Simeon Aquino III for his stance on artificial contraception. In a disclaimer posted on the CBCP website on Friday, Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar said the CBCP has not considered that action. "I deny the news report aired in [a] TV network [Thursday] evening that I threatened President Aquino with excommunication in the interview with Radio Veritas [Thursday] morning. While the prevailing sentiment of a number of bishops was that of dismay and frustration over the reported stance of the President regarding artificial contraceptives, imposition of the canonical sanction has not been contemplated by the CBCP," Odchimar said in his disclaimer dated September 30. During Thursday’s interview on Radio Veritas, Odchimar said the prospect of excommunication for Aquino "can be a possibility," but not "a proximate possibility." Odchimar's exact words in an interview over Church-run Radio Veritas on Thursday: "It can be a possibility but I do not say that, right now, it is a proximate possibility," adding that the bishops are "open to dialogue." Portions of the Radio Veritas interview with Odchimar were quoted in the report of GMA News' Claire Delfin aired over "24 Oras" on Thursday evening.

Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community. It may include banishment, shunning, and shaming, depending on the religion. However Odchimar, in his disclaimer, said the Catholic Church’s approach to the issue was to be in a spirit of dialogue and not of confrontation. "[The] threat of excommunication at this point of time can hardly be considered to be in line with dialogue. I maintained that the traditional position of the Church is that human life starts at conception and not at implantation. Some contraceptive pills and devices are abortifacient. Any completed act to expel or kill the fertilized ovum is considered to be an act of abortion," he said. He added that he pointed out the penalty of excommunication is meted out to the principals and accomplices of abortion when "certain conditions are verified." Canon Law and Morals demand that excommunication is imposed under the "moral immutability" (inability to change) of the sinner, he added. "Among other things this concerns the right to life particularly of the unborn child in the mother’s womb. The bishops support the initiatives of the laymen to protest the passage of the RH bill. When asked whether the bishops will participate in mass action, I replied that we would be considering our options what steps to take when we have to cross the bridge," he said. Despite the possibility of excommunication, President Aquino said hours after Odchimar’s radio interview on Thursday that he is not changing his position on the issue about contraceptives. "We are all guided by our consciences. My position has not changed. The state's duty is to educate our families as to their responsibilities and to respect their decisions if they are in conformity to our laws," Aquino said in a statement. Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, however, maintained that Aquino remains open to a dialogue with the bishops over the controversial reproductive health issue. More 'Celdrans' Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman warned the Catholic Church that it may have to excommunicate millions of Filipino Catholics if it excommunicates Aquino for his stand on artificial contraception.
Illustration by Vince Go.
"Kung tinatakot ng Simbahan ng excommunication ang ating pangulo sapagka’t batayan nila ang paggamit ng condom at contraceptives, milyun-milyong Pilipino na Katoliko ang kailangang i-excommunicate ng Simbahan sapagka’t marami ang sumusunod sa RH bill at contraceptive use," Lagman said in an interview on dwIZ radio. (If the Church will threaten our president with excommunication over the use of condoms and contraceptives, it may have to excommunicate millions of Filipino Catholics who support the reproductive health bill and use of contraceptives.) Lagman said there are many Filipinos who share the sentiments of tourist guide Carlos Celdran, who made a scene inside the Manila Cathedral to protest the Church’s supposed meddling in State affairs. Celdran was arrested and detained at a Manila Police District precinct. (See: In RH war of words, activist confronts bishops in church) "Maraming mga Carlos Celdran sa ating bansa na talagang sumusuporta sa RH bill at tumututol sa matinding opposition ng ating simbahan (There are many Carlos Celdrans in our country who support the RH bill and are not happy with the Church’s opposition)," said Lagman, principal author of the RH bill at the House of Representatives. He added that a number of surveys already showed that many Filipino Catholics are in favor of the passage of the RH bill and the use of artificial contraception in family planning. Disclaimer of Bishop Nereo Odchimar, D.D., CBCP President I deny the news report aired in TV network this evening that I threatened President Aquino with excommunication in the interview with Radio Veritas this morning. While the prevailing sentiment of a number of bishops was that of dismay and frustration over the reported stance of the President regarding artificial contraceptives, imposition of the canonical sanction has not been contemplated by the CBCP. I stated that the initial approach of this issue is to be in the spirit of dialogue and not of confrontation. Threat of excommunication at this point of time can hardly be considered to be in line with dialogue. I maintained that the traditional position of the Church is that human life starts at conception and not at implantation. Some contraceptive pills and devices are abortifacient. Any completed act to expel or kill the fertilized ovum is considered to be an act of abortion. I went on to say that the penalty of excommunication is meted out to the principals and accomplices of abortion when certain conditions are verified. Canon Law and Morals demand that the sanction is imposed under moral immutability of the sinner. The Church intervenes in this issue because this is a moral question. Among other things this concerns the right to life particularly of the unborn child in the mother’s womb. The bishops support the initiatives of the laymen to protest the passage of the RH bill. When asked whether the bishops will participate in mass action, I replied that we would be considering our options what steps to take when we have to cross the bridge. +NEREO P. ODCHIMAR, DD, Bishop of Tandag, CBCP President 30 September 2010 — RSJ/VVP/HS, GMANews.TV
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