Duc in Altum

Around 8 AM local time in Manila, Philippians (7 PM EST), the Congress will continue debate toward a vote on legislation entitled the Responsible Parenting and Population Control Act of 2005. It is clearly a piece of legislation which supports the culture of death because it legislates a governmentally-supported two children per family preference. A ZENIT interview with Eileen Macapanas Cosby, who is executive director of the Filipino Family Fund (www.filipinofamilyfund.org), outlines the many problems with the proposed legislation:

It is an affront to the culture of life in the U.S. and not just in the Philippines. I hope people see that.

If we let the most Catholic country in the world -- 87% of its nearly 85 million people are Catholic -- fall prey to these fringe groups, this will be a huge blow to the pro-family and pro-life movement. This will give the pro-choice leadership an advantage to do more damage than they did in Beijing or Cairo.

We have to pray that on January 16 the bill does not pass. It is up for a vote and the author claims 135 of 238 congressmen will support it.

Elements of the bill include preference in education for two-child families, free access to abortifacients, and mandatory sex education for children as young as 10 years old.

Under the bill, employers -- including the Catholic Church -- would be obligated to provide free "reproductive health care services and devices to the workers."

The bill defines "reproductive health care" as "availability and access to a full range of methods, techniques and services that contribute to reproductive and sexual health and well-being." This includes "family-planning information, condom and abortifacient birth prevention." Voluntary sterilization is also included.

The penalties for not participating in the proposed reproductive health program include imprisonment for up to six months.

Catholic health-care professionals who object to sterilization and contraception will be obligated to make a referral and not have the freedom to practice medicine according to their beliefs.

Catholic educators who will not share the mandated reproductive health curriculum will be imprisoned or fined up to 20,000 pesos ($382). Parents who object to their children receiving abortifacient health services will also pay the same penalty.

She continues to describe how the Filipino people have reacted:

The bishops are adamantly opposed. Filipinos are organizing prayer rallies. Mayors are joining Church leaders in speaking out and only permitting natural family planning as the family planning method of choice.

Some priests concerned about the abortifacient push have actually withheld Communion from legislators who signed the bill.

One archbishop addressed the faithful in pastoral letter in February: "The Church cannot be unmoved by these assaults on the family. The legislative proposal to limit the size of the Filipino family in the guise of 'reproductive rights' is unjust, arbitrary and unreasonable legislation. It has no place in public governance."

Obviously defeating this legislation should be of interest to all people who support a culture of life. It is, of course, interesting to note how some bishops and priests have reacted to this action. Their support for life should be supported by our prayers that this legislation is not passed.

For more information from the Population Research Institute click here.

To sign a petition opposing the legislation click here.