CBCP official denies ban on communion for RH supporters

An official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) denied rumors circulating on Facebook that a Catholic parish has banned supporters of the reproductive health (RH) bill from receiving Holy Communion. Fr. Melvin Castro, Executive Secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Family Life of the CBCP, said the so-called announcement is simply agitating the people to be angry with the Catholic Church. Castro told GMA News Online that he does not know where the announcement came from but it is definitely false. "It only goes to show na talagang may element of deception sa pro-RH. 'Yan ang nakikita ko dito. Gusto nilang galitin ang tao sa Simbahan," said Castro. He emphasized that only bishops can decide if such a ban will be implemented. "At this point there is no need for that. Majority of the legislators and supporters of the RH bill have heard the apparent good things, they are acting out of goodwill and ignorance of the details," he said. Fabricated statement? Meanwhile, when asked if the supposed announcement could have been fabricated by pro-RH advocates, Benjamin de Leon, president of the Forum for Family Life and Development (FFLD), said it was unlikely. De Leon said advocates of the bill are focused on issues, not personalities. According to him, whoever was the author of the letter "has been very irresponsible." Still, he said it was good that such an announcement came out. "It gives signals to the Church that they cannot take their flock for granted, discerning and enlightened Catholics," he said. "What we believe is a couple or an individual who wants to practice family planning should be given the right information as well as the methods of contraception, including natural family planning. It is their decision, not the government's nor the Church's," he said, adding that neither the Forum nor the RH bill advocate abortion. De Leon told GMA News Online that he received the announcement via e-mail from FFLD vice president and former Health Secretary Alberto Romualdez. Romualdez said he forwarded the announcement after receiving it from former POPCOM commissioner Lito Sandejas, who sent it to their Ateneo Yahoo groups address. GMA News Online learned about the false announcement through investigative journalist Marites Vitug's Facebook page, which published it and urged her friends to "read and be angry." Opposed to the RH Bill The Catholic Church accepts only natural methods of family planning and has been opposed to the RH bill because it would permit artificial contraception. In January this year, the CBCP issued a pastoral letter entitled "Choosing Life, Rejecting the RH Bill." The letter spoke about the Catholic Church's opposition to the RH bill but did not issue any directive to deny Holy Communion to pro-RH advocates. The Church also issued an oratio imperata (mandated prayer) for the respect of all human life. Approval of funding for RH bill On Wednesday, in a 20-3 vote, members of the House appropriations committee agreed to the proposed initial funds for the implementation of the RH bill from the budgets of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Commission on Population (POPCOM) for this year, if the measure is enacted into law. Under Section 30 of the consolidated RH bill in the House of Representatives, the initial funds for the implementation of the measure, if signed into law, shall come from funds left of the DOH and POPCOM’s Family Health and Responsible Parenting budget. A total of P731 million was allocated to the Family Health and Responsible Parenting budget of the two government agencies in the 2011 General Appropriations Act. If the bill becomes a law, it shall be allocated funds in subsequent national budgets, according to the measure. However, Castro also on Wednesday, downplayed Congress' approval of the funding for the controversial RH bill. Castro said the real fight is during the plenary debates where anti-RH lawmakers will block the bill. “It’s not new because there are really many pro-RH bill (lawmakers) in the House Committee on Appropriations… So the real battle will be in the plenary by next week," Castro said in an article posted on Wednesday on the CBCP news site. Parish denies posting announcement Meanwhile, the Santuario de San Jose Parish in East Greenhills, Mandaluyong City, has denied posting the announcement about the supposed ban on communion for RH supporters. "Nagulat nga kami na may ganyan. Hindi kami basta bastang maglalabas ng ganyan, kung meron eh di ginegera na kami dito," parish secretary Ella Dula told GMA News. According to posts on Facebook, the supposed announcement says: "In faithfulness to the call of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Parish Pastoral Council of Sanctuario de San Jose would like to implore all parishioners to reject the RH Bill recently approved by the Lower House on the grounds it is not only unconstitutional and ineffective but immoral and evil." "In this connection, we would like to advise parishioners who promote or support the RH Bill NOT (repeat NOT) to receive Holy Communion until they go to Sacramental Confession and renounce the RH Bill. The Holy Eucharist is the Sacrament of all Sacraments where Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Our Lord and Savior is present in his true body and blood, his true humanity and divinity. The Church forbids receiving Holy Communion if we are not in a state of grace, meaning we have not committed a mortal sin. Because the RH Bill is inherently immoral and evil, recommending, supporting, defending, promoting and practicing its provisions and tenets constitute a mortal sin against many of the 10 commandments." "While we realize this admonition may be received with some controversy, we wish to clarify this is not a condemnation of sinners, but a condemnation of sins and a call to the sacrament of reconciliation." Disobedience to the Pope, represented by our Cardinals, Bishops and Priests, is disobedience to God. If you are uncertain about the reasons for why the Church opposes the RH Bill, we implore you to attend talks organized by your parish, read and study the bill, the 1987 Constitution where we implore the aid of our almighty God and commit to protect the sanctity of life, Humana Vitae, the 1968 Encyclical of Pope Paul VI, the Bible and other good books we will make available for sale outside the church. The duty and responsibility for educating our children lies not in the school but in the home, which is the first school, so it is incumbent upon parents to be well-informed so they can form their own children. The Parish Pastoral Council of Sanctuario de San Jose stands one and united with our local Bishops and Cardinals, with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and our Lord Jesus Christ in this fight against evil, and we implore the aid of God the Holy Spirit in guiding us as we fulfill the will of God. Thank you." – VVP/HS, GMA News