The Struggle for A Catholic Way of Life

This is Part 1 of a series.

The Philippines for centuries was known as the only “Catholic Nation” in Asia until East Timor gained its sovereignty on May 2002, it was then that the Philippines and East Timor shared the distinction of being the two countries in Southeast Asia that are predominantly Catholic.

Of course, scholars would debate on the appellation that the Philippines was ever a Catholic Country, in the first place. This gives us a glimpse of the hermeneutics existing among those who are in the academia.

The Philippines and the Reproductive Health Law

In the Philippines, more than 80% of the people belonged to the Roman Catholic Church. The seeds of Christianity were planted in this archipelago with the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.

However, it was during Miguel Lopez de Legazpi’s expedition in 1565 that started the Spanish Colonial Period. The Spanish Era in the Philippines spanned more than three centuries which profoundly influenced the Filipino culture.

More importantly, the Spaniards left a profound Catholic Heritage, which permeated the lives and psyche of Filipinos finding its creative outlets in the arts, architecture, and lifestyle until the present time.

The Philippines is one of the only two sovereign nations that do not have a divorce law, the other one being the Vatican City (as of 2012). However, some members of the country’s House of Representatives are overly eager to join the rest of the world in having a divorce law.

Indeed, it seems that some members of the Philippine Congress are working overtime with proposals for the passage not only of the Divorce Law but also the Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill). It turned out that the Reproductive Health Law was passed ahead of the Divorce Law. The Reproductive Health Bill was passed into law by President Benigno C. Aquino on December 21, 2012.

During that time, the major issue that has caught the attention of the Church in the Philippines is the RH Bill. Alarmed by the proposals to distribute contraceptives and condoms in local health centers using public funds, the introduction in the elementary schools of Reproductive Health Education/Human Sexuality subjects patterned after those in Western countries, and the possibility of introducing legalized abortion in the country, caused alarm among Catholics.

The Bishops with their flocks and some Pro-Life groups have organized rallies, seminars and awareness campaigns against the RH Bill throughout the country hoping that the majority will understand the moral dangers of the RH Bill. I do not think that their campaign made any difference at all.

The influence of Obama over P-Noy and the secularists’ advocacy groups won the battle at a price too dear; it irreparably harmed the Catholic Church in the Philippines.

Ironically, the decline of the Catholic Church’s influence over politics came during the administration of the son of Corazon Aquino who was herself catapulted to political power partly due to the influence of Jaime Cardinal Sin.

To be continued...