An interview recently held on the Aljazera television channel regarding the proposed Reproductive Health Bill was watched by viewers across the world.
Efforts to pass this bill have now been ongoing for sixteen years, but the passage of the bill has been consistently impeded by the Catholic Church. A recent survey found that 80% of Filipinos desire for this bill to be passed into law. With 87% of all those in favour being themselves Catholic, increasing numbers of people feel that the church is now out of step.
The Philippines has the second highest mortality rate in Asia, with some 500,000 abortions being performed each year, resulting in the hospitalization of 5,000 women and 1,000 deaths. It has been estimated that family planning measures would reduce maternity deaths by 32%. The World Health Organization has included contraceptive pills on its list of approved medicines.
Many are now praying that their leaders do not lose sight of the bigger picture, whilst the younger generation are increasingly putting faith in their own ‘people power’ to bring about change.
In a world where people are increasingly challenging authoritarian regimes, it would be tragic if the Catholic Church were to fall under this same umbrella. The Catholic Church provides much comfort and support for the people of the Philippines, but should it persist in maintaining its current position to continue to oppose the recommendations of the Pope, the fear is that its authority will inevitably be undermined./TE
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