More people confess use of contraceptives, abortion

MANILA, Philippines - If there is one good thing that came out of the enactment of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, it is that more people confessed abortion and use of contraceptives as sins, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said yesterday.

Since last year, priests have noticed that the public has become more aware that having an abortion, using contraceptives, and living in out of wedlock are sins and that these should be confessed, according to Fr. Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Family and Life.

Priests have also observed that a majority of those who confessed are young people, and that many Catholics are turning to the confessionary to seek absolution from committing abortion.

“The people have become more aware that the use of contraceptives is a sin. So we thank God... because this paved the way for the people to return to God,” Castro said.

Castro also thanked RH bill sponsor Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay for serving as an eye-opener to the public.

The CBCP official also said it was a phenomenon that there had been reports about mothers who committed abortion but could not get rid of the guilt even after confession.

“There is this worldwide phenomenon that mothers would confess about the abortion again and again. In the case of abortion, they feel the gravity [of the offense] and they feel the need to make reparation. This is good because this becomes a process of healing that they admit they committed a sin and they are being blessed,” Fr. Castro added.

Since abortion is a reserved sin, only bishops have the faculty to give absolution to those who committed abortion. But there are instances when the bishop would give selected priests a limited power of absolution.

For instance, a priest would be given absolution for 10 cases only. So after hearing the confession of 10 people who committed abortion, they could return to their bishop and ask for another 10 cases, Castro explained.