Priest likens Church pressure vs RH bill to the Inquisition

Amid the Catholic bishops' strong opposition to the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, one of the clergy's leading intellectuals has a different view on the controversial measure, saying that attempts of some members of the Church to dissuade the public from supporting the bill is "reminiscent of the Inquisition." In a recent blog entry, Jesuit priest Fr. Joaquin Bernas, S.J., said a sector of the Church is giving Catholic religion a bad name by trying to impose Catholic beliefs on everyone. He wrote about the "furor" over the Barangay Ayala Alabang ordinance that, among others, requires a doctor's prescription when buying artificial contraception like condoms. Bernas, Dean Emeritus of the Ateneo Law School, a law degree holder and a prominent constitutionalist, noted the technicalities of the Ayala Alabang ordinance. He says, for example, that Republic Act 5921 or an Act Regulating the Practice of Pharmacy, on which the ordinance is based, regulates only the actions of pharmacists and not the activity of buyers of pharmaceutical goods. However, he pointed out that these are "technical matters that can easily be verified." He said it is "more eerily fundamental" that the situation seems to be an attempt by a sector of the Catholic Church to instrumentalize the power of the state to impose Catholic belief on all others. "[W]hen it comes to contraception, the nation divides mainly along religious lines," he said. "The official Catholic teaching is that artificial contraception is immoral. Other religions believe in good faith otherwise." "Seeking to impose Catholic belief and practices on non-Catholics and others violates freedom of religion," he said. In another blog entry, Bernas said he is not going against the teaching of the Church, citing a provision in the Vatican II declaration entitled "Dignitatis Humanae" (Latin for "Of the dignity of the human person") that supports a person's right to religious freedom. The provision says a person has a right to religious freedom, which means all men "are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits." In July 2010, Bernas co-authored talking points for Dialogue on the RH Bill with Fr. Eric Genilo, S.J. and Fr. John Carroll, S.J. In it he expressed that a "critical and constructive engagement" is necessary between the bill proponents and the Church so that the debate is not focused only on whether the RH bill should be passed or rejected. The paper argued that even if the majority of the population of the country are Catholics, the democratic system should ensure that "public policies are not determined solely by majority vote but also by a careful consideration of the common good of all, including non-Catholics." The paper also pointed out that it is the duty of various religions to "teach their faithful and form their consciences about what their religious tradition allows and prohibits with regard to family planning," while the government should provide information and training for both natural and artificial methods of family planning. "Consciences will thus be better equipped to make informed choices according to their religious traditions," it said. Bernas et al. wrote that everyone needs to come to a consensus for the common good, adding that the freedom of conscience of every Filipino – whether Catholic or non-Catholic – must be respected. 'Eclectic Catholics' Speaking from the other side of the RH bill divide, however, Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz said freedom of choice is not absolute, and people are only free to do what is right and not what is wrong. In an interview with GMA News Online, Cruz said he does not agree with Bernas when the latter said imposing Catholic beliefs on everyone is a violation of freedom of religion. "In fact, this is not a teaching based on Catholic faith but based on natural law and based on reason," he said. "The arguments being propounded by the CBCP (Catholics Bishops' Conference of the Philippines) against the RH bill are because of the teachings of nature and reason, not because of Catholicism." He cited for example the Ten Commandments, where it states that one should not kill, steal or covet one's wife. "Huwag mong sabihin na sa Katoliko lang 'yun. It is carried by the Catholic Church but it applies to everyone," he said. (Don't tell me that it only applies to Catholics. It is carried by the Catholic Church but it applies to everyone.) Cruz said he fears that priests like Bernas who rally behind RH bill advocates will promote the emergence of more "eclectic Catholics" who only follow teachings of the Church that they want to follow and are "convenient" for them. "We have a good number of people who are eclectic Catholics, which is a pity because [they] are neither here nor there," he said, adding that some priests are also becoming that way. Cruz likened members of religious orders who believe in the RH bill to the apostle Judas who betrayed Jesus. "Sa labindalawang apostol, may isang Hudas. Sa dami-dami naming mga pari eh meron ding nagtataksil," he said. (Among the twelve apostles, there is one Judas. Out of many priests, there are also a few who betray.) Cruz did not say which religious order he is referring to. "I can't imagine why they would support the RH bill," he added. "Kung nagpari ka pa, mamimili ka ng gusto mong doktrina pero 'di mo susundin ang mga itinuturo niyo, cheap na cheap naman 'yon." (If you entered priesthood and picked this doctrine but do not follow its teachings, that's really too cheap.)—JV, GMA News