CBCP chief to Pope bashers: Leave ‘rabbits’ in peace
January 21, 2015 2:29pm
Leave the rabbits in peace!

This was the appeal of Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines president Archbishop Socrates Villegas to those criticizing Pope Francis' statement on responsible parenthood.

Villegas, who is also Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop, stressed in a statement on Wednesday that the Pope never made a remark to the effect that Catholics breed like rabbits.

"The Pope NEVER made the rather unseemly remark that Catholics breed like rabbits... What the Pope DID SAY was that some Catholics mistakenly believe that to be Catholic, we ought to breed like rabbits – and prior to using that simile, he knew that it was harsh and so said 'excuse the expression' – but it was apt and it brought home the point," he said.

During the flight to Rome from Manila, the Pope had stressed the need for responsible parenthood.

"Some believe that – excuse the expression – to be good Catholics we must be like rabbits. No. Responsible parenthood. This is clear, and for this reason in the Church here are matrimonial groups, experts in this. I know of many, many legitimate ways to achieve this," he said, according to a transcript on the Vatican news site.

Villegas said the Pope's point is that the Church has always taught that it is a Catholic obligation to be responsible about parenthood.

He said this means births "should be planned rationally by both parents who must always remain open to new life, but who must also take into consideration their physical, financial and emotional capacity to raise children."

"It is not correct for a Catholic to assume the attitude: 'Come what may!' This is traditional Church teaching that the Pope was reiterating, and it should be especially relevant to us Filipinos who are grappling with population issues," he said.

Villegas also cited what Pope Francis said at his meeting with families at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City last Jan. 16.

During that meeting, Villegas said the Pope indicated that Blessed Paul VI's Humanae Vitae "prophetically understood" that nations would be impoverished in the measure that they assume an anti-birth stance.

He noted Blessed Paul VI was proven right by the experience of "aging nations with only a handful of youngsters to take on the jobs necessary for a country's survival and growth."

Also, he noted Blessed Paul VI had urged pastors to be sensitive to particular cases, especially those that need "carefully balanced, prayerfully calibrated solutions in accordance with a well-formed conscience and in the context of the guidance received from the Sacrament of Reconciliation."  Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News

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