Anti-RH talks held in Antipolo, Cebu

Groups opposing the passage of the reproductive health (RH) bill gathered in Antipolo in Luzon and Cebu in the Visayas for special talks on marriage and family life. In Antipolo City in Rizal, some 200 youth leaders gathered at the Saint Michael's Retreat House in Antipolo City, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said on Monday. July 25, Monday, happens to be the day that President Benigno Simeon Aquino III is scheduled to deliver his second State of the Nation Address (SONA). The day also marks the 43rd anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae, the 1968 encyclical that reaffirms the Church's teaching on married love, responsible parenthood, and regulating birth. San Pablo diocese Commission on Family and Life pro-life advocacy coordinator George Dee said the passage of the bill "will lead to the moral corruption of the youth and foster a decadent lifestyle destructive of Filipino values and tradition." The Catholic Church is against the passage of the RH bill which promotes both artificial and natural means of family planning. Sacredness of human sexuality Dee said the RH bill's objective of encouraging "satisfying and safe sex" for partners, whether they are married or not, will destroy the "sacredness" of human sexuality. He cited sex as a God-given gift for the exclusive enjoyment of married couples. Dee said the youth should not to be "deceived" by how the bill is crafted, with "seemingly harmless language." He said an RH mentality will promote a lifestyle that disregards the sanctity of marriage. The group that organized the talk was the Antipolo Diocese's Ministry of Youth Affairs. Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes was recently elected to head the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life. Anti-RH rally Meanwhile, in Cebu, Catholics were reminded against ignoring God as people go about their daily tasks and duties. Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, in his homily, spoke out against keeping God out of government and its laws. Before the Mass, an anti-rally began with praise and worship activities led by Couples for Christ. - VVP, GMA News