Heed pope on responsible parenthood – CBCP

MANILA, Philippines - Parents should plan the births of their children without a “come what may” attitude, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said yesterday.

Villegas supported Pope Francis’ statement that Catholics should practice “responsible parenthood “ and not breed like rabbits.

“The point is that the Church has always taught that it is a Catholic obligation to be responsible about parenthood. Births should be planned rationally by both parents who must always remain open to new life, but who must also take into consideration their physical, financial and emotional capacity to raise children,” Villegas said.

It is not correct for a Catholic to assume the “come what may,” he added.

Villegas issued the statement clarifying the “rabbit” statement from the pope might have been misunderstood by the public.

During the flight to Rome on Monday, the pope said Catholics don’t have to breed “like rabbits” and should instead practice “responsible parenting,” citing the case of a woman he met who was pregnant with her eighth child after Caesarian sections.

“It is responsible parenthood, not about rabbits. The pope never made the rather unseemly remark that Catholics breed like rabbits. Everyone is encouraged to read both in print and on social media the transcript of the papal interview aboard Philippine Airlines that flew the Holy Father back to Rome,” Villegas said.

“Let us leave the rabbits in peace,” he added.

Villegas said the pontiff’s teaching is relevant to Filipinos who are grappling with population issues. The Commission on Population (POPCOM) said last year that the country’s population has reached more than 100 million.

“What the Pope did say was that some Catholics mistakenly believe that to be Catholic, we ought to breed like rabbits – and prior to using that simile, he knew that it was harsh and so said ‘excuse the expression’ – but it was apt and it brought home the point,” Villegas said. 

“And the point is that the Church has always taught that it is a Catholic obligation to be responsible about parenthood,” he said.

Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza said Pope Francis did not mean to endorse contraception when he declared that Catholics should not breed “like rabbits,” and should instead practice responsible parenting.

He claimed that some authors of the Reproductive Health (RH) law “are twisting what Pope Francis said and making it appear that the Holy Father is for contraception.”  

“I doubt if he said it, but if he did, I am sure he did not mean it in a demeaning or pejorative way. On the contrary, he was quoted as saying that there are plenty of church-approved ways to regulate births and practice responsible parenthood. But that most importantly, no outside institution should impose its views on regulating family size,” he said.

Atienza, among lawmakers who voted against the RH law, said he attended the pope’s “Meeting with Families” at the SM Mall of Asia Arena last Friday.

“Pope Francis stressed the sacredness of every human life from conception to natural death. I heard him personally and he was definitely not endorsing contraception. The Church will never change its position on the value of human life. Life is the greatest gift of God to man,” he said.

Choose your method

Sen. Pia Cayetano, one of the principal authors of the RH Law, lauded Pope Francis for stressing the importance of responsible parenting among the Catholic faithful.

“It is indeed the primary responsibility of parents to plan the number and spacing of their children, to ensure that each child is cared and provided for, and to not leave their future to fate,” she said.

Cayetano said she is glad the pope did not turn a blind eye to the reality of the hardships faced by families who were not able to plan their families.

“Eight children to feed, care for and send to school is not a joke. And it is important that we stress that parents must own up to this responsibility. Government can only help by providing information, services and supplies. But ultimately, it is the choice of the individual and the couple,” Cayetano said.

As far as Malacañang is concerned, the position taken by Pope Francis and the government on the country’s booming population has been complementary since the RH Law gives Filipinos choices on how to handle family planning.

“The thing is, we don’t say that you only have to use contraception, or you only have to use natural family planning. The law does not say that and we did not advocate that ever since the start,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda pointed out.

“We have laid the position very clearly on responsible parenthood,” he said. “So, if you’re pro-life, you’ve got the natural family planning method. We are encouraging that if you’re pro-life. If it’s not something that suits you, you can choose other methods.”

Villegas also pointed out that during the meeting with selected families at Mall of Asia, the pope mentioned the Humanae Vitae of Pope Paul VI.

“Blessed Paul VI in his much-maligned Humanae Vitae prophetically understood that nations would be impoverished in the measure that they assume an anti-birth stance. The experience of aging nations with only a handful of youngsters to take on the jobs necessary for a country’s survival and growth has proved Blessed Paul VI right.”

Pope Paul VI had also urged pastors to be sensitive to particular cases, or those needing carefully balanced, prayerfully calibrated solutions in accordance with a well-formed conscience and in the context of the guidance received from the Sacrament of Reconciliation. – With Eva Visperas, Jess Diaz, Christina Mendez, Delon Porcalla