Catholics of and for the 21st Century

Written on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 at 8:47 pm | by caffeine_sparks

Forty years on, Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae is still causing controversy among Catholics. If you want to read alternative views on reproductive health, you might want to check Catholics for Choice.

Incidentally this is where I found out that Pope Pius VI commissioned a report prepared by theologians. The report recommended that the church rescind its ban on contraception.

A recommendation which was then promptly ignored by the Pope.

It is this one man’s decision that is still being upheld by the Philippine Catholic hierarchy.

Seriously. Are we devolving back into the age of the Holy Roman Empire?!?

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9 Responses to “Catholics of and for the 21st Century”

  1. Jon Limjap on July 22nd, 2008 9:11 pm

    I’m a praticing Catholic but I’ve ignored its reproductive health doctrine for a loooong time.

    And that has been such a big help in the quality of life of my family.

  2. micketymoc on July 23rd, 2008 8:21 am

    I toyed around with the idea of xeroxing this book to send to pro-reproductive health bill politicians, if only to remind them that their stand is actually a legitimate one in Catholic terms.

    I’ve written about this before - the Catholic Church is obliged to respect the dignity of personal conscience. There are no ifs and buts about it - the Church cannot compel Catholics to act against their informed conscience.

  3. Arbet on July 23rd, 2008 9:06 am

    Hi, wasn’t it Paul VI who issued Humanae Vitae?

  4. Mikey_Liling on July 23rd, 2008 11:23 am

    One of the reasons the Catholic Clergy is against contraception is that it will somehow promote promiscuity and/or pre-marital sex. As if the absence of a piece of latex stops these horny little bastards from doing the deed.

    They should have lifted this ban a long time ago. I think they’re just waiting for a burning bush to tell them so.

  5. Mandaragat on July 23rd, 2008 5:23 pm

    Bakit sila kontra, simple lang ang paliwanag diyan. Ang simbahan ay negosyo din, parang isang multinasyonal na entity.

    Kung kakaunti ang mga ipinapanganak, dadalang ang magpapabinyag, ang no. 1 source ng pondo ng simbahan sa Pilipinas. Kaakibat nito ang kumpil, kasal, etc.

    Kung walang pondo na manggagaling sa Pilipinas, baka magsara ang Vatican.

    Sa wari ko, ang “branch” sa Pilipinas ang may pinakamalaking kita na inaambag sa operasyon ng simbahan dahil sa lawak at dami ng nasasakupan.

    Ok lang sana kung LAHAT ng kita nito ay ibinabalik din sa masa.

  6. AdB on July 23rd, 2008 9:56 pm

    Mon Dieu! But pre-marital sex has existed and promoted since time immemorial.

  7. J on July 23rd, 2008 11:32 pm

    Exactly, Mandaragat. LOL

  8. supersepoy on July 24th, 2008 4:22 pm

    Most of what I read about the agressive CBCP lobbying of Congress seem to indicate that the Church is so powerful in the Philippines, that it can influence official policy. However, I would say that the lobbying betrays the fact that their power has dwindled considerably over ordinary Catholic Filipinos.

    It is easier for them to lobby, than to directly tell the people NOT to use artificial contraception, because they know, no one would listen.

    They know that if the proposed legislation pushes through, most Catholics would subscribe to it, not even flinching at the threat of going to hell. Why? Maybe because the poor already feel that they are in hell right now, what more could there be?

    It is the heirarchy’s failure to give enough spiritual and moral guidance, which necessitates their need for witholding information and access to modern contraception methods, from the Filipino (Catholics and non-Catholics alike).

    It is also precisely their failure to give sufficient moral and spiritual guidance which necessitates the need for artificial contraception and family planning.

    Artificial contraception is not the cause of promiscuity and abortions, it is the effect (or solution).

  9. caffeine_sparks on July 24th, 2008 5:18 pm

    supersepoy,

    There is a worrying trend that this administration has been encouraging such bold statements from the Church - especially on this matter.

    This bill has been rejected time and again since the 11th Congress because of the powerful Pro-life and Church lobby.

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