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Bishop: Catholics for RH 'not authentic'


A senior Catholic Church official in Cebu has refused to meet members of a Catholic group supporting the reproductive health (RH) bill, saying “Catholics for RH are not authentic." According to an article on the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCANews), Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said he will not meet with the group "Catholics for Reproductive Health (C4RH)," which was conducting a forum on the RH bill. “No, if they think they represent Catholics, I am not giving them an audience," he said. "They are not recognized as Catholics." The report mentioned that Mark Molina, a member of C4RH, had said his group intended to meet with Palma to discuss the measure. The group was conducting a forum to gather views on the proposed RH bill. Opposed to Church teachings Earlier San Pablo (Laguna) Bishop Leo Drona warned Catholics to distance themselves from the C4RH group because it opposes traditional Church teachings. Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar had said the group’s support for the RH bill is threatening unity within the Church. “Public espousal of measures that directly undermine… non-negotiable principles of the Catholic faith is a sharp wedge that cuts the unity of the Church," he warned. “Any Catholic who freely identifies him or herself with this group gravely errs," he added. Last month, the C4RH said it intends “to bring Catholics into full harmony with their faith and realize that there is no dissonance with their being Catholic and simultaneously believing in the advocacy and goals of reproductive health and rights." Pro-life seminars Meanwhile, student leaders of "Catalyst," the outreach organization of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) invited an international "pro-life" speaker to hold seminars on the RH issue. "Christopher West, an acknowledged expert on the topic, is coming to the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P)on June 27, to speak to third and fourth-year high school (students), and all college students from 1 to 3 p.m.," a report on the CBCP news site said. West will speak on Blessed John Paul II's Theology of the Body and the RH bill. "During the 2008 World Youth Day held in Sydney, West was a big hit to the 5,000 youth who heard him speak at the Sydney Opera House," the CBCP noted. Noting the relevance of the subject and urgency of the theme, "Catalyst" is inviting fellow youth in various communities and schools to join in the activity. The symposium will be held at the Li Seng Giap Auditorium, with simultaneous CCTV feed in Telengtan Hall and PLDT Hall at the University of Asia and the Pacific. Participants will be charged P100 to P200 for admission tickets, the CBCP said. - VVP, GMA News

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