Mexico abortion law worries CBCP

Catholic bishops in the country expressed alarm yesterday over the reported passage of an abortion law in Mexico, a predominantly Catholic nation, and reiterated their stand that abortion is a direct assault on life.

Archbishop Oscar Cruz, who chairs the National Appellate Matrimonial Tribunal of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said the Church considers as a sad development the legalization of abortion in a country that is supposed to be a stronghold of the Catholic faith.

Cruz said the Church remains firm in its stand against abortion and will not in any way change its position.

"Abortion is the worst crime a man can commit against another man precisely because it is those who should be the first people to protect the unborn child who allow such an act. It is really more than a crime," the prelate from Lingayen-Dagupan stressed in an interview with The STAR.

Cruz, former president of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), further explained: "There is no reason that can ever justify abortion. The legalization of this act is tantamount to tolerating killing of people."

The CBCP official admitted that the development in Mexico has caused alarm among Philippine bishops, considering the similarities between the two predominantly Catholic countries.

"I am afraid that in the Philippines, this could also happen. You see, there are people pushing for artificial birth control and we believe this will lead eventually to the legalization of abortion. Use of contraceptives is ultimately one step closer to approval of the law on abortion," he warned.

Cruz has lamented that Muslims are "sometimes better than Christians" when it comes to the issue on abortion and family planning.

The Vatican earlier lamented the legalization of abortion in Mexico. Sources at the Holy See, which campaigned against the law, were quoted as saying there was a mood of disappointment and a deep fear that other Latin American countries might follow suit.

The legislative assembly in Mexico City voted 46 to 19 last April 24 to remove the one- to three-year prison term for those who were found guilty of aborting a fetus within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Those who abort after 12 weeks, however, will still face prosecution.

The CBCP earlier reiterated its stand against birth control despite reportedly growing public clamor for family planning, as shown by a recent survey conducted by pollster Pulse Asia, which showed that 92 percent of 1,800 Filipinos want government funding for birth control.

These figures, however, were not enough to convince the CBCP to change or even adjust the centuries-old stand of the Church on the issue of birth control.

CBCP president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo explained: "The widespread use of contraceptives – even with government support – and the great number of abortions committed daily do not change the objective moral law on birth control."

"Surveys favoring contraceptives or birth control will not alter the Church’s position and insistence in teaching the objective moral laws regarding the dignity of human life and family."

The prelate said the Church still sees artificial methods of family planning as "a wrong thing."

The CBCP president maintains the Church’s argument that there is no direct correlation between population and poverty. He also said people should not misconstrue such a stand as an obstruction to economic progress in the country.

Lagdameo also contested the claim that the country’s population is steadily rising, citing studies conducted by the United Nations and National Statistics Office: "According to the UN, the Philippine population growth rate has declined from 2.36 percent to 1.84 percent. For NSO, it’s 2.05 percent. Our country’s total fertility rate is not 3.5 but 3.2 – also based on UN and NSO – and is headed towards further decline."

"Based on these data, this is what is alarming: Our population is decreasing, but still poverty is worsening," he said.

Without conceding that the population of the Philippines is growing, Lagdameo argued the prevailing trend in population growth can even be advantageous to Filipinos.

He believes a decline in population growth will have long-term repercussions on the economy: "We are already declining in number! Soon, as in many developed countries, there will be more old people for the government to support, and less young people to run the economy. What more will happen, considering that many of our young generation migrate to greener pastures?"

Lagdameo also clarified that the Church is not really against population control, though it disapproves of some "cafeteria methods or artificial methods that (promise) instant results: contraceptives, abortions, ligations and vasectomy."

"The formation of core values, as well as education in the natural methods of family planning, are part of the advocacy of the Church’s Family Life Apostolate," he added.

"These natural family planning methods include lactational amenorrehea, basal body temperature, the Billings ovulation method, and the symptho-thermal method. It is so important that the Family Apostolate in the parishes and barrios have lay people – especially married couples – who have undergone training and value formation in teaching the use of these methods. Patient and continuous education is necessary in this apostolate," he said.

The CBCP issued the statement in reaction to the Pulse Asia survey results issued last week, which indicated that nine out of 10 Filipinos support the use of artificial birth control methods.

The survey conducted among 1,800 respondents nationwide also showed that 75 percent of respondents would support candidates in the May 14 elections who endorse government funding for family planning.

Lagdameo believes the survey results only mean that the Church must double its efforts to campaign against artificial birth control methods and promote natural methods.

"If there are those who accept use of condoms, ligations and vasectomies, it means that the Catholic Family Life Apostolate will have to work harder and more zealously," he said. "It is not true that the widespread use of contraceptives will reduce illegal abortions. In countries where contraceptives have become widely available, cases of abortion have increased."

Cruz likewise aired his sentiment against the passage of a divorce law in Mexico City last month.

"Humanity is crying for another assault against formal commitment, solemn promise and word of honor all expressed on the occasion of marriages," Cruz lamented in a statement posted on his blog.

The prelate described divorce and other laws on failed marriages as "fooling around with marriage."

"The stability of marriages has much to contribute to the sound value system of individuals plus harmonious social interactions among families. Divorces do exactly the opposite," he added.

Cruz said the Church is unlikely to change its stand against divorce, which it believes is capable of "destroying marriages, dissolving families and scrambling children."