Prolife groups to map anti-RH bill strategies in congress

Pro-life groups aim to map out strategies against the reproductive health (RH) bill when they hold a three-day congress starting Saturday in Makati City. Human Life International (HLI) for Asia and Oceania will hold its 17th Asia-Pacific Congress on Faith, Life and Family at the Dusit Hotel from November 6 to 8. “I pray that our clergy, religious and lay leaders will take this opportunity to know much more about the global agenda, and the many deceptions [and] subtle attacks against life and family," HLI Asia/Oceania executive director Ligaya Acosta said in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines news site. Preceding the congress will be a three-day international pro-life training for clergy, religious and lay leaders of Asia and Oceania from Wednesday to Friday. Acosta said the congress is timely and urgent in the face of “massive attacks on the church and the much more aggressive push for the passage of the RH bill." The Catholic Church and its allies have been vocal against the RH bill, which allows the use of artificial contraception. Resource speakers during the pro-life training for clergy, religious and lay include Dr. Brian Clowes, Acosta, lawyer Jo Imbong, Fr. Francis Lucas, Fr. Melvin Castro and Archbishop Paciano Aniceto. Clowes is the director for research and training of HLI in its USA central office and will speak on two topics during the pre-congress. He will talk on “How dissenters plan to remake the Catholic Church to their own image" and on “winning pro-life debate." Other speakers include Raymond de Souza, an international Catholic apologist and program host of EWTN; and Dr. Rene Bullecer, HLI Philippines executive director. CBCP president and Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar will give an inspirational message to the participants during the congress while Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal will deliver the keynote address. Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales will preside over the closing Mass on November 8. - KBK, GMANews.TV