RESPONDING TO FR. JOHN CARROLL, S.J. OF ATENEO ON CBCP OPPOSITION TO RH BILL

La Naval de Manila

Fr. John Carrol of the Ateneo wrote: “With all due respect for the position of the Philippine bishops, I do not see that total opposition to the bill necessary, once one gets past the polemics. First of all, the bill does not legalize contraceptives; they are already legal and may be purchased in any drugstore. What the bill proposes to do – rightly or wrongly – is to subsidize the cost of contraception as well as natural family planning to the poor.”

Fr. Carrol laments that the Church has backed itself into a no-win situation. “If the bill passes over the total opposition of the hierarchy, there will be gloating in some quarters and a sense of “Who’s afraid of the big bad Church?” If it is defeated by the opposition of the Church, I fear a powerful backlash at the Church’s “interference in politics” and “reliance on political power rather than moral suasion”—the beginnings of an anti-clericalism such as overwhelmed formerly Catholic bastions as Spain and Ireland.”

FR. ABE:

Fr. Carroll simply shows ignorance of the CBCP position against the RH Bill. Indeed the use of Contraceptives is already legal but we oppose the use of public funds for the purchase and distribution of those contraceptives as pushed in the Bill. Let the Condomists and Sy-PILL-ists buy their own condoms and pills using their own money not the government funds coming mostly from Catholic taxes and in blatant insult against our faith since the use of Contraceptives is contrary to our Catholic Faith and Morals. This is not simply polemics but a defense of the Faith which we inherited from the Apostles. I PRAISE THE LORD THAT FR. CARROLL IS NOT ONE OF OUR BISHOPS AND THAT HE IS NOT OUR POPE, otherwise our faith would be spilled to the ground lke the post nocturnal condoms.

‎"Fr. Carrol laments that the Church has backed itself into a no-win situation". Ha ha ha... That is a very cheap understanding of the Church position. The Church fought against sin and immoralities regardless of the situation. Win or loose the Church must stand against Contraceptives. John the Baptist fought in a no-win situation against Herod and so did Jesus before Caiaphas, Herod and Pilate. Peter and Paul fought in a no-win situation against Emperor Nero as well as the Roman Martyrs. The Pope did the same against Henry VIII when he wanted to Divorce Catherine of Aragon with a threat of separating the Church of England. Cardinal Sin fought in a no-win situation during the EDSA 1 & EDSA 2. Blessed Pope John Paul the Great fought in the same situation during the Cairo Conference against Bill Clinton's effort to impose abortion and contraception in that U.N. Summit. The Church fights with the sword of faith and with strength of the Spirit regardless of the political backlash and the public opinion. THOSE WHO ARE AFRAID TO FIGHT IN NO-WIN SITUATIONS ARE COWARDS.

“If the bill passes over the total opposition of the hierarchy, there will be gloating in some quarters and a sense of “Who’s afraid of the big bad Church?” If it is defeated by the opposition of the Church, I fear a powerful backlash at the Church’s “interference in politics” and “reliance on political power rather than moral suasion”—the beginnings of an anti-clericalism such as overwhelmed formerly Catholic bastions as Spain and Ireland.” I FIND THIS REASONING HILARIOUS AND PATHETIC. If ever we decide not to oppose the RH Bill will these Condomists and SyPILLists stop opposing the Catholic Church? NO. They will continue their Anti-Clericalism. So, it is better to fight them tooth and nail rather than allow them to use the public funds to the detriment of our Catholic Faith. We are not here to please and to kowtow to the whims and caprices of the atheists, agnostics and anti-Catholics. The Church must teach, proclaim, protect and defend the Gospel of Life in season or out of season, regardless of the opposition. FR. CARROLL SOUNDS LIKE A POLITICIAN RATHER THAN A SHEPHERD OF SOULS.