Palace: No plan to meet with bishops amid anti-RH rallies

Amid the planned rallies by religious groups this week, Malacañang said there are no plans yet to conduct another dialogue with the Catholic bishops on the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill. “None that we are aware of," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said at a press briefing Monday when asked if the Palace sent feelers to the prelates for a dialogue. She further said the anti-RH bill advocates have the right to stage rallies. “Certainly yung pagra-rally nila is in the free exercise of their freedom of expression, freedom of speech and that is part of our democracy," she said. The Catholic Church is against the RH bill as it promotes both artificial and natural methods of family planning. The Church accepts only natural family planning methods. Christians and Muslims On July 25, the day that President Benigno Simeon Aquino III is scheduled to deliver his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), Christian and Muslim anti-reproductive health (RH) bill groups will hold a "Congress of the Faithful." The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said the congress of people of different faiths aims to show the "people’s perspective" on the country's situation. July 25 also happens to be the 43rd year of the "Humanae Vitae," the landmark papal letter about the Church's uncompromising stand on birth control. In an article on its news site, the CBCP said the holding of the congress was announced by former congressman Benny Abante during a press conference of an inter-faith pro-life coalition on Friday. Those represented in the press conference were Catholic, evangelical Christian and Muslim groups as well as speakers from the education and youth sectors. “We, the Prolifers, strongly oppose and will vehemently resist any or all moves by any individual, group or institution to enact the RH bill into law, particularly the senseless spending of billions of pesos on contraceptives in the guise of responsible parenthood and ‘safe sex,’ the inclusion of sex education in the curriculum for children and minors, virtually usurping the divine responsibility of parents to teach their own children, as we urge our President to exercise his power to veto such, if and when this bill passes both Houses," said Abante. Humanae Vitae's 43rd year The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines announced last week that it will be conducting anti-RH activities ahead of the 43rd year of the Humanae Vitae on July 25. The encyclical or papal letter "Humanae Vitae" (Latin phrase meaning "of human life") was written by Pope Paul VI and issued on July 25, 1968. Subtitled "On the Regulation of Birth," the papal letter reaffirms the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church on married love, responsible parenthood, and birth control. The papal letter became highly controversial as it prohibits of all forms of artificial contraception. Rallies in the regions Meanwhile, Cebu and Masbate will be the venue of two rallies against RH bill on July 23. In Cebu, the gathering — dubbed as the “Solidarity Family Prayer Rally for Faith and Life" — will be held at the Sto. Niño Basilica Pilgrim Center at the city’s busy downtown business and commercial area. Pro-life civic and faith-based groups will converge at the basilica at 3:00 p.m., according to the CBCP. Cebu Archbishop and incoming CBCP president Jose Palma will lead a Mass at 5:00 p.m. - VVP, GMA News