Whatever SC ruling on RH, Church remains pro-life

BAGUIO City, April 7, 2014— Whatever the Supreme Court rules on the controversial birth control law, the Catholic Church will not give up its teachings on family and life.

“With or without the SC’s decision, it is the duty of the Church to be teaching life. Our duty does not depend on civil laws, our duties come from God,” said Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Archbishop Socrates Villegas.

The Church, Villegas said, cannot set aside its duty to teach the faithful about the sacredness of life even if the High Court declares the RH Law constitutional.

The Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan also said the Church will continue to fight the measure on artificial contraceptives that was signed into law in 2012 because “wrong is always wrong”.

“We must keep on teaching about the dignity of human person, about the holiness of life and of the human person from conception until death,” he said. “It does not depend on any law.”

The CBCP head made the statement today as the SC, which is holding its summer session in Baguio City, is expected to make a final ruling on the RH Law on Tuesday.

While praying that the Higher Tribunal will reject the RH Law, he said the SC deserves the “highest respect” whatever decision it will make on the measure.

“We should not make any comment on the justices or the SC or the Chief Justice because as a law-abiding citizen, we must always respect the court,” he said.

The implementation of the RH Law is currently under suspension following the status quo ante order declared by the SC last year.

It can be remembered that on the third and final reading, 133 legislators voted in favor of the RH Law with 79 members of the House of Representatives voting against it.

In the Senate, the measure was passed by a vote of 13 senators in favor and eight against it.

Archbishop Villegas, however, reiterated that what is moral cannot be determined by numbers.

“Maybe because of the numbers available in the Senate and the Congress they had approved it as law (but) it remains to be morally wrong,” he said. (CBCPNews)