RH bill is terrorism–CBCP head

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

MANILA, Philippines―With the impending passage of the reproductive health (RH) bill, “unpeace in the womb” is one of the most “glaring” threats Filipinos face this coming new year, the president of the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Saturday.

In his Christmas message, CBCP president and Tandag bishop Nereo Odchimar warned that the passage of the RH bill would lead to the womb becoming a “ferocious threat” to unborn children. He also equated the bill to extrajudicial killings, the insurgency and terrorism.

“Events in human history can sometimes obscure our faith in Him who is the Prince of Peace, Lord of Consolation, and Incarnate Hope. The threat of war, political unrest and armed conflicts put nations in constant fear,” Odchimar said in his message posted on the CBCP website.

“In our country, acquiring peace in Muslim Mindanao seems almost hopeless while insurgency, coup attempts, and crimes such as extrajudicial killing, terrorism and the like continue to interrupt the smooth progress of national affairs,” he said.

“And the most glaring among others is that unpeace in the mother’s womb. With the approval of RH Bill, a woman’s womb can be a ferocious threat to those who are yet to be born,” the prelate added.

To overcome these problems, Odchimar urged the faithful to undergo a personal conversion and “accept our individual role in this crucial and intricate work of transforming the face of the earth.”

“Jesus begins it all definitively at his Incarnation. We begin by first receiving Him into our hearts. If we allow our hearts to be mangers on which He lays, He can make rich and beautiful hearts out of our own―hearts who can love as He loves; who can forgive as He forgives; and generous hearts who take joy in none other than self-giving,” he said.

Another bishop who called on believers to strengthen their faith through conversion was Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes.

The 66-year-old prelate warned about a “loss of morality” among Filipinos as shown by the introduction of the RH which he said was a “disguise” for “the culture of death and immorality as it wipes out the family.”

He said that faith among Catholics was “waning as people no longer think of what is beyond the present life” while also warning against the “systematic abuse of nature, Mother Earth and environment. –Philip Tubeza, Philippine Daily Inquirer