Prints & Traces
Don Pagusara
On the RH Bill Roadblock
Kaluoy sa RH Bill ni Pinoy! Ilabog sa impierno!
Apan labawng makaluluoy ang mga benipisaryo unta niini!
Pagkasayang! Tinapay na unta, nahimo pang bato!
[How pathetic is Pinoy’s RH Bill! It’s condemned to hell!
But greater still is the misfortune of its intended beneficiaries!
What a loss! Already a baked dough, it has yet turned to stone!]
But it’s understandable. It’s not surprising. It’s an expected outcome.
The Catholic Church is yet the most powerful institution in this part of the universe.
A nation that has embraced or swallowed hook-line-and-sinker, the doctrines of Catholicism is bound to obey the persuasive majesty of the church in matters that touch on the question of morality. It does not admit wrong or loss or defeat.
The Church proclaims itself infallible in matters of faith and morals. This means that “faith” and “morals” must be equal to the “truth.” Di ba? Otherwise, if faith and morals are not in conformance with the truth, it’s a fraud.
When Galilleo proclaimed that the earth is round, the Church said “(N)o, the earth is flat” and said Galilleo was wrong. Then he was excommunicated for spreading something contrary to what is held sacred as truth. And was Galilleo wrong? Was not his position in concordance with reality and truth?
But faith is “blind” and morality is “absolute.” Such that what is held as morally upright is absolutely based on what is true. And that it is irreversible, irrespective of findings that has proved it to be based on falsehood or untruth.
And because morality is founded on the infallibility of the Church or its Pope, its position cannot be controverted by reason or material reality, and must disregard scientific fact or truth.
P-Noy and the other proponents, advocates and supporters of the RH Bill are put in an awkward position — in a dilemma. They are supposed to be blind and must follow the position of the Church on any question and issue. For being faithful, they must obey — blindly. That is the curse of being a believer of the Church.
But the other horn of P-Noy’s dilemma lies in his being a politician. He must behave in a manner that is always pleasing to the blind followers of the Church. This, he must do for the sake of the viability of his political leadership and the credibility and stability of his administration. If the blind followers of the Church will agitate for the ouster of P-Noy, he becomes an “endangered species” as a political figure.
The Church — I mean the Catholic Church – is the most powerful religious entity in our national polity. You antagonize the Church, you’re a “dead-o,” politically. And so, the political enemies of P-Noy must kowtow to the Church’s position. Such is the only convenient conduct for them to recover from a loss or defeat. Such is the political necessity or strategic pragmatism to maintain political clout.
Now, dwelling on the reason or logic of the RH Bill . . . if more and more women and children suffer from deaths and malnutrition on a daily basis, what does the Church care? If our population balloons daily by the millions, what is that to the Church? It can always minister to the poor who MUST always be there. Because if there were no miserable poor, the Church will cease to exist.
The poor is its reason for being.
Mind you, the Church is a merciful institution. It ministers to the needs of the poor by its “acts of mercy” and “acts of charity.” If there were no more poor, there will be no more church evangelist who will proclaim that “the Church is closest to the poor.” If there is one institution that does not want to eradicate poverty, or that prays for the perpetual presence of massive poverty, it is the Church.
And what about the venerable Justices of the Supreme Court? They are there because of the politicians who appoint them. Ideally, they are appointed as a collegial body charged with the interpretation of laws. But laws, just like the exhortations in the Bible, are always ambiguous. And their ambiguity corresponds to the “Justices’ minds” that are divided by the appointing powers.
Who are the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointees and who are the P-Noy appointees in the SC Justices? Study their positioning on the issues or their questions on decisions. Especially on political issues. Who says the Supreme Court is an independent branch of government composed of independent minds? And the Church can utilize its clout play on this “ambiguity” among the SC justices.
Simbahan pay imo! Mas brayt pa nang mga Obispo sa mga Justices! [You cannot belittle the Church! So many of its Bishops are smarter than the Justices!]
There is no true separation between State and Church affairs in this country. Lo and behold! What the Church wants the Church usually gets. Not because of divine providence, but because of vested interests. The Church is a political entity whose body politic is manipulated to align with the political personalities or party that banner its vested interests..
It so happens that this time around its vested interest is adverse to P’noy’s own interests. And so it mustered its clout to set up a formidable roadblock that is meant to condemn the RH Bill — No! it’s already a law — to hell.*
Gabriela, pnoy legislative agenda, reproductive health bill, rh bill, women, women's health
