Response to "CBCP's monumental blunder"

Dear Mr. Butch del Castillo,

I write you in response to your 23 August 2012 article entitled "CBCP's monumental blunder". I understand it was meant to tell the Catholic bishops they made a faux pas by threatening to strip AdMU of its Catholic status because of almost 200 of its faculty signed a pro-RH Bill manifesto.

I read your article several times. What particularly caught my attention was your characterization of the position of the Ateneo faculty as being "hard to dispute or refute" which was the following:

"It upholds the constitutional right of couples to found a family in accordance with their religious convictions, honors our commitments to international convenants and conventions, and promotes the reproductive health and reproductive rights of Filipinos, especially of those who are most marginalized on this issue -- our women, poor families and young people."

Indeed, pro-RH Bill Ateneo faculty's declaration of their position appear noble. But I have these questions:

Does this position really reflects the true nature of contraception-laden RH Bill?
Does the use of contraception fulfills these alleged noble goals?
Are these "noble" goals really that noble?

The obvious answer I see is NO!

Feedback to "Contraceptive morality"

Note: This is my comment at "Contraceptive morality" of PDI.

The woman's power to conceive is NOT a tool to be owned absolutely by a woman. It is entrusted to her by her Creator; it is not hers. She will render account to her Creator on how she used it later in her life.

Feedback to "God save the king" article of Patricia Evangelista

Dear Editor,

I wish to send you my reaction to Miss Patricia Evangelista's article "God save the king" (posted on May 1, 2011 at the Inquirer.net website: http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20110501-333945/God-save-the-king).

Miss Evangelista's article made the concept of excommunication appear as an unfairly harsh and unevenly applied penalty imposed by vacillating and hypocritical pastors. Indeed, it intrigued me to google-search the term and find-out for myself what the World-Wide-Web could provide.

Miss Evangelista is quite correct in calling excommunication a penalty imposed by authorities of the Catholic Church to offenses committed by some of its members. The Catholic Church as a society of persons, just like the Philippine nation-state, is entitled to impose such sanctions on its offending members. "Every society has the right to exclude and deprive of their rights and social advantages its unworthy or grievously culpable members, either temporarily or permanently. This right is necessary to every society in order that it may be well administered and survive." (New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, URL:http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05678a.htm)

In principle, this penalty - being the most serious penalty that the Catholic Church could inflict - is meant to be medicinal. It seeks to remind the offender of the gravity of the offense, to correct, and to bring him or her back to the path of righteousness. It may appear vindictive but it should be properly viewed as medicinal. It is a great good for us, human beings, who easily commit or do things that, in the final reckoning, will be self-destructive to ourselves.

By analogy, I would liken "the penalty of excommunication" to the "nauseating odor" of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) or methane gas. Pure methane gas is odor-less. However, companies that sell LPG deliberately mix such odor in order that a leak could easily be detected! Like the nauseating odor, excommunication is a reminder of a possible destructive damage one could impose on one's spiritual life.

The seeming vacillation of the pastors is, in my opinion, a reassurance that they are still human beings. It is an indicator that they self-correct themselves when they realize they are deviating from the calling of charity: condemn the sin, not the sinner.

Miss Evangelista is quite accurate in assuming that "automatic excommunication occurs on a quarterly basis at a Manila clinic" if indeed abortion is done at such frequency. But let it be viewed as a calling to reform, not a damnation. Because only God has the ultimate right to judge.

Thank you for allowing your readers to send feedback. More power to PDI!

Author's Note:
This letter was sent by website feedback webform on May 4, 2011 (Manila time).

Feedback to "A war of religions" of Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J.

Dear Editor,

I am very grateful for stumbling-upon the article of Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J., "A war of religions" (posted May 2, 2011, URL: http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20110502-334122/A_war_of_religions) for two (2) reasons.

The first reason is that Fr. Bernas enumerated some of the changes RH Bill proponents have made to the draft bill to allegedly make it acceptable to those opposing it. The enumerated changes are as follows:
1) Local government units will "help implement this Act", instead of "give priority to family planning work". (in Section 13 of HB4244)
2) "Parents shall have the option of not allowing their minor children to attend classes pertaining to Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education." (in Section 16 of HB4244)
3) Deletion of the section on employers' responsibility on reproductive health. (Section 21 of HB4244)
4) Deletion of the specific enumeration of allowable contraceptive devices and methods. It will be replaced with the proposal for the allowance of contraceptive methods that are in general safe and legal.

These changes, I believe, are still to be declared and incorporated to the draft bill during the second-reading sessions at the House of Representatives.

I agree with Fr. Bernas that these changes are not enough to stop the opposition of the bishops of the Catholic Church to the bill. The bishops have been insisting from the very beginning that the bill is an attempt to legalize the use of artificial contraception. The bishops have been exhorting the faithful, and the nation at large, that artificial contraception is contrary to the moral law as declared by Pope Paul VI in 'Humanae Vitae'. The bishops have been reminding the nation that something immoral, or against the Ten-Commandments, cannot be legalized or be established in human laws. The bill despite the latest changes still contains provisions that promote artificial contraception and there is no way for the bishops to agree with it.

The second reason for being grateful to Fr. Bernas is his attempt to encourage both sides of the debate to view the issue in the light of religious freedom and respect for human dignity as enunciated in the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCPII), the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church and 'Dignitatis-Humanae'.

In my opinion, the only way for both sides to respect each other's freedom and dignity is for RH Bill not to be enacted into law at all, given that artificial contraception is immoral! It is timely to remind ourselves of the exhortation in 'Dignitatis Humanae' to political authorities that "government is also to help create conditions favorable to the fostering of religious life, in order that the people may be truly enabled to exercise their religious rights and to fulfill their religious duties, and also in order that society itself may profit by the moral qualities of justice and peace which have their origin in men's faithfulness to God and to His holy will." (Dignitatis Humanae, 6)

There are other options available for the government to reduce maternal mortality other than legalizing artificial contraception.

Though I am grateful to Fr. Bernas for his article, I am also disappointed by the vagueness of his position on the RH Bill. He could be of great service to the ordinary faithful if he will be more categorical and direct in his position.

During World War II when ordinary foot-soldiers were in the midst of a gun-battle and artillery barrage, these soldiers (who were mostly young, uneducated, rural boys) greatly appreciated and were extremely grateful for the concrete, simple, and direct tactical directions of their front-line commanding officers.

I believe, we are in a great spiritual battle in this RH bill debate. The more concrete, simple, and direct our declared position in this issue, the better we can serve the simple flock we are shepherding.

Thank you for this chance to write. Should you decide to publish this letter, please show only my email address. Thank you and more power to PDI!

Author's Note:
This letter was submitted by website feedback form on May 3, 2011 (Manila time).

Another Feedback on Miss Patricia Evangelista's "The Montalvan morality"

Dear Editor,

This letter is a reaction to Miss Patricia Evangelista's latest article in her Method to Madness column, "The Montalvan morality"(PDI, Sunday, October 16, 2010, page A15). I understand her article is a reaction to Antonio J. Montalvan II's October 11, 2010 column-article.

Owing to Miss Evangelista's rhetorical expertise and writing prowess, I fear that her readers would easily come to a rash judgment and thinking: It is necessary and inevitable to employ contraception to manage the population.

A question came to my mind: Is it possible to manage the population without resorting to or employing contraception? I pondered on this question for some time and have come to the conclusion that Yes, it is possible!

In order to manage population, specifically the Philippine population, without using contraception as a public policy, I believe, the following conditions should be present:

1. PEOPLE ARE RESOURCES, NOT BURDENS. Our political leaders and policy-makers ought to view people as potential resources, not just short-term burdens. Instead of looking at people as consumers of resources and producers of wastes, they should be looked upon as potential producers of ideas and problem-solvers of the many mysteries plaguing humanity's existence. Instead of seeing mouths to be fed, they should be seen as pairs of hands that could produce products and services, people with cash-laden wallets that would fill shopping malls after shopping malls. Of course, in order for people to be the country's assets, they should be harnessed through well-crafted public education curricula and well-trained, well-paid teachers. Public funds should channeled to improving public education infrastructures and programs. Let us fight corruption in the public offices so that tax-payers' money are not funneled to unscrupulous individuals but to public education!

Objectors to this idea might counteract that there is not enough public funds for the current and fast-growing population size, population should be reduced to a manageable level. To this objection I will respond:

It is not the size of the population that should be the issue, there are countries who have populations bigger than the Philippines who are able to provide enough public goods and services. Instead, our leaders should wrack their brains to come up with policy strategies that would attract more and increasing foreign direct investments to the country, increase tax collection and implement a more equitable distribution of material wealth.

2. NATURE AND MEANING OF HUMAN SEXUALITY. Our political leaders and policy-makers should foster the true, the correct, the sustainable understanding of the nature and meaning of human sexuality. Through public education and mass-media, the following thinking should be made normal and common: "An individual views and enters into a sexual relationship because she or he is consciously willing to become a parent".

It is true that sex should be viewed as beyond procreation; that there is another meaning to sex. That other meaning is personal unity, partnership, communion. But for this other meaning to really exist and to be unmistakably experienced, the intimate connection of sex to procreation must not be artificially, synthetically cut. Only then, when the possibility of procreation is willingly accepted, that the other meaning of sex will be a reality.

3. INTERNET PORNOGRAPHY IS A PUBLIC MENACE. Before the advent of Internet technology, indulgence to pornography was confined to a few. Now, it is accessible to almost anyone, regardless of age, status, financial capacity, etc! Looking at pornography ought to be viewed as a debilitating addiction, similar to drug addiction. If our public leaders are deeply concerned for the widespread access to dangerous drugs, they also ought to include easy access to Internet pornography as one of the public menace.

Studies have shown that boys and men are more susceptible to be hooked to Internet pornography than girls and women. Our leaders should concede to the proposition that Internet pornography could cook the minds of the male half of the population and come to see the female half of the population as just objects, toys, tools for sexual pleasure. In order to minimize the objectification of girls and women, there ought to be policies that curb the availability of printed pornography in public places and Internet.

4. WOMEN SHOULD REIN MEN, NOT SPOIL THEM. Girls and women ought to be aware that they are a very important influence in guiding boys and men towards chivalry and responsible fatherhood. Our public leaders, specially our women political leaders, should foster the mentality that modesty is better than exhibitionism. Through modesty, ladies could attract gentlemen, willing to respect them as persons with dignity. Through showing too much skin, ladies could attract brutes, filled with the thought: 'girls are just toys'.

Moreover, our leaders ought to foster the concept: women ought to realize that they can keep a true and honest man, as a life-partner, if they do not give-in to the low and perverted cravings of men. Women should not give-in to the lustful desires of their men and resort to the use of artificial contraception to provide an apparent protection from unwanted consequences. Through the actual use of contraception, women, without them being aware of it, willingly turn themselves into willing toys and objects of pleasure for their partners. Women's dignity as a person is not protected by contraception, rather, they are automatically turned into objects and turn their partners into brutes without reason.

To conclude, these are the four (4) suggested conditions, I believe, should be present in Philippine society, in order to manage population without resorting to contraception. I must concede that these are very, very tall orders! These are, indeed, unattainable ideals. But as long as there is an honest-to-goodness effort-exerted and resources-employed, on the part of our political leaders and policy-makers, to move towards achieving these conditions, contraception-free population management will produce effective, long-lasting and sustainable results.

In lieu of population policies dependent on contraception, strategies such as improving all forms of public transportation to encourage people to upgrade existing urban centers or build more urban centers in the country-side will gain public attention, acceptability and feasibility. This could decongest current urban centers like Metro Manila and Cebu. A strategy of population redistribution will be more possible.

Author's Note:
This feedback was sent as letter to the editor and is awaiting Philippine Daily Inquirer's (PDI) response. PDI has the prerogative to publish or not to publish this feedback in printed form. The author respects whatever will be PDI's decision.

Feedback on Miss Patricia Evangelista's "The Montalvan morality"

Dear Miss Patricia Evangelista,

I am very impressed by your latest PDI article, "The Montalvan morality" (Sunday, October 17, 2010, page A15). I understand the article is a reaction to Antonio J. Montalvan's October 11, 2010 column-article. I must admit you write eloquently and persuasively.

Alongside my admiration and awe for your writing skill, is a deep concern and fear. Upon close scrutiny of your statements, I noticed so many terms used wrongly. I fear that readers of your article, equally impressed by your writing prowess, might be misinformed and misled.

I could see many instances, in your long article, demonstrating erroneous term usage. Since terms refer to concepts, your wrong use of terms also means wrong use of concepts.

One obvious instance is your claim in paragraph 14 (of the printed version): "...the Church itself supports natural contraception..." I am certain you are referring to the Church's endorsement and support of Natural Family Planning method or NFP. I wish to enlighten you that NFP must not be equated with natural contraception. The two terms are totally unrelated.

It is true, there is such a term as "natural contraception" and it refers to the "withdrawal method" or "coitus interruptus". It is a contraceptive method involving the withdrawal of the male sex organ during sexual intercourse so that ejaculation could take place outside the female sex organ. This method is also called "Onanism" referring to the Biblical figure, Onan, the second son of Judah and brother of Er, who scattered his seed on the soil to avoid fathering a child with his widowed sister-in-law, Tamar, whom he was required by tradition to take as wife and beget children to be declared as his brother Er's children. Onan resented and despised the traditional precept. God killed Onan, immediately after spilling the seed (cf. Genesis chapter 38)! Now, how can the Church endorse such a contraceptive method?

NFP is never a contraceptive method. Couples who practice this do not intervene nor block the natural process of procreation. There are neither artificial, synthetic instruments nor chemicals used. Performing the conjugal act during the infertile period of the wife should not be considered contraceptive. NFP couples are always open to the gift of life. They consider each child a gift and a responsibility they have to render an account to God later. NFP is more than a family planning method; it is a way of life, it requires a frame of mind that views human sexuality as a sacred reality, God's gift to humanity. Why not verify it for yourself? Ask around and interview a NFP couple or celebrity-couple Maricel and Anthony Pangilinan.

I will be analyzing your statements and hopefully send you the results with an elaborate explanation. But feel free to review your article and your understanding of the terms you used. You may have an impeccable writing skill, Miss Patricia, but your content may be full of conceptual errors.

Thank you for your time and more power to your career!

Author's Note:
This feedback was sent as letter to the editor and is awaiting Philippine Daily Inquirer's (PDI) response. PDI has the prerogative to publish or not to publish this feedback in printed form. The author respects PDI's decision.

Is Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) assisting in the propagation of a hedonistic Philippine society?

Is Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) assisting in the propagation of a hedonistic Philippine society?

I read Mr. Romy Aquino's published letter-to-the-editor ("Nature shows sex not merely for procreation", page A16, PDI, 4/12/10) and was particularly alarmed by his thesis statement: "... sex among human beings is mainly for pleasure and not for a 'higher purpose which is to procreate'".

Mr. Aquino elaborated further by enumerating five (5) "empirical evidences" to back-up his claim. But, I think, these are more "superficial, amateurish speculations" interpreting human sexuality's natural processes than "scientifically verifiable conclusions" valid as evidences.

Mr. Aquino erroneously equated "procreation" to "animal reproduction". PDI editors should be aware that human procreation is very different from animal reproduction. Since a human being is a unity of a material body and a spiritual soul, where each soul is uniquely created by an infinitely perfect spiritual being called God and is not a piece from the mother and father's souls, human procreation is a category of its own. We can say, when our parents procreate, God is always involve in each and every sexual act, even if, in some cases, it does not result in a new human being. Animal reproduction is purely material while procreation is both material and spiritual.

All of Mr. Aquino's arguments disregarded the spiritual dimension of human sexuality. We cannot properly explain human sexuality if the spiritual aspect is not also discussed. Human sexuality's spirituality could be gleaned from Christian anthropology and theology, not from popular, laical interpretations. Human beings have a spiritual calling to form communities through sincere mutual self-giving with each other as what happens in marriages; human sex is the essential bodily component of this calling while the marriage vows forms the other part.

I am very worried PDI, the most widely-read broadsheet, published Mr. Aquino's letter and read by the Filipino public. This might influence public opinion and contribute to mainstreaming the notion that "SEX IS JUST FOR PLEASURE"! Does PDI realizes it might be helping fortify the practice of snatching or conning rural young girls to be instruments of sexual pleasure in tourist resorts and other establishments?

I suggest PDI moderates closely publishing letters-to-the-editor and take careful look at the philosophy and ideology behind each and every letter. As they say, "ideas do have consequences".

Feedback to “Can Catholic support the RH bill? Yes!”

Dear Dr. Mary Racelis,

I am very glad to read your article, "Can Catholic support the RH bill? Yes!" (page A15, Monday, October 13, 2008, PDI, also published by ABS-CBN News) which highlights the goal or objective TO LOWER MATERNAL MORTALITY as a valid reason for Catholics to support the RH bill.

I became interested, lately, on maternal mortality, after I read a TIME magazine article on maternal mortality (an online version of it is available; the URL is http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1842278,00.html). The article identified some of the causes of maternal mortality, which were as follows:

1. Low access to well-equipped clinics or hospitals;
2. Lack of properly trained and adequately-paid medical professionals;
3. Low availability of necessary medicines;
4. Unsanitary traditional practices;
5. Well-entrenched traditions and fatalistic attitudes to maternal mortality;
6. Lack of government funds for maternity health care; and
7. Lack of political will of government decision makers.

I am with you, Dr. Mary Racelis, in pushing for lowering maternal mortality as a worthwhile government objective. Besides, it is one of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) -- a series of targets in a program that channels aid to key issues, including education and clean water -- to be met by 2015. Maternal mortality is a valid health issue. Looking at the causes highlighted by the Time article, I believe a bill on maternal and infant health care could be formulated independent of the current RH bill. The Time article never mentions contraception as a solution nor a cause (due to the lack of it).

However, I am wondering: Will RH bill proponents agree to the removal of provisions on contraception and sex education?

This could be a possible compromise between the Catholic Church and RH bill proponents: Remove provisions on contraception and sex education; keep provisions on improving maternal health care! Eureka!

The abortion statistics you mentioned is open to many interpretations. To me, it is an indication of the following:

1. Many people are already practicing contraception as a result of sex education in the 60s and 70s;
2. Most of their contraceptive means failed. Since they cannot accept failure, they resort to abortion as back-up contraception.

Contraception as a means to plan the size of the family is not healthy psychologically and biologically. It fosters irresponsible use of the sexual faculty. Some contraceptive means, the Pill particularly, causes cancer (in the breast, cervix, uterus, etc.)

It is with divine wisdom that the Catholic Church is exhorting the faithful (take note, she is not forcing the faithful) to practice Natural Family Planning (NFP). Please take note, further, that NFP is not contraception. NFP does not intervene in the natural procreative process: no artificial hormones taken in, no devices installed, etc. NFP does not need HB 5043 for it to be promoted. The practice of NFP "respect the bodies of the spouses, encourage tenderness between them and favor the education of an authentic freedom. In contrast, every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible is intrinsically evil." (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2370)

I believe, contraception will not contribute to maternal health. Maternal mortality is not caused by pregnancy. Pregnancy is not a disease. Pregnancy is the best thing that could ever happen to a woman; she becomes a mother, regardless of the circumstances (married mother, unwed mother, rape-victim mother, etc.). The child that comes out from pregnancy should be viewed as a gift from God, not a property.

Contraception and abortion is essentially connected. In the late Pope John Paul II's 1995 encyclical "Evangelium Vitae," the "Gospel of Life," he says that "despite their differences of nature and moral gravity, contraception and abortion are often closely connected, as fruits of the same tree." The late pope points out that in many cases, both practices are "rooted in a hedonistic mentality" that tries to separate sexual pleasure from procreation. He believes that this type of thinking strengthens the temptation to accept abortion as the only solution to failed contraception, because "the life which could result from a sexual encounter thus becomes an enemy to be avoided at all costs." (Evangelium Vitae, 13).

Thank you, once again, for writing the article. It gave me the occasion to gather my thoughts and write you this letter. Pardon me for the errors in grammar, spelling and syntax I failed to correct.

"Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." (Cf. Psalm 95:7-8)