Laguna church plans province-wide ‘pro-life’ march

A day after branding the reproductive health (RH) bill pending in Congress as a form of "moral corruption," the Catholic Church said there will be province-wide “pro-life" march in Laguna next month. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said San Pablo Bishop Leo Drona called for the march to express the Church’s stance for the sanctity and dignity of human life. “Drona approved the plan of the organizers to invite students and teachers in all Catholic schools in Laguna, Catholic organizations and parents, among others to join the Walk for Life slated on March 26, 2011 which would coincide with the nationwide activity to support and uphold the value of human life," the CBCP said in a report posted on its news site. The march, dubbed “Walk for Life 2011," is a joint effort of the Knights of Columbus (KC) Philippines’ Laguna Chapter and the San Pablo Diocesan Family Life Commission. Citing figures from the 2009 Catholic Directory of the Philippines, the CBCP said there are 73 Catholic elementary, secondary and tertiary institutions in Laguna, with some 38,856 students. The CBCP added there are more than 2.6 million Catholic constituents in the Diocese of San Pablo. Drona signed and endorsed the invitation letter for the march last Jan. 20, and addressed it “Your participation will certainly strengthen the pro-life stand to which the Diocese’s Family and Life Commission has been designated to promote and make a stand," Drona said in a letter to parish priests, religious congregations, heads of schools and leaders of Catholic organizations last month. Earlier, Drona directed Catholics in the diocese, through the parish priests of more than 80 Catholic parish churches in Laguna, to pray daily the “Oratio Imperata (imperative prayer) for the respect of all human life," from December 25 last year to January 16 this year. The prayer says: “God, our Loving Father, Creator and Lover of all life, You fashioned in your image and likeness every human person. Give us the strength and courage to defend and protect human life from conception to natural death. We pray for your divine healing, comfort and peace for all affected by past abortions. Help us serve actively in alleviating the sufferings and troubles of all women with pregnancy problems. We pray that all our leaders and legislators may be guided by the grace of the Holy Spirit to act responsibly on this critical present issue." – VVP, GMANews.TV