MANILA, Sept. 19, 2012— Even though priests do not have their own families, Fr. Melvin Castro said they are not indifferent to the sufferings of poor families.
The executive secretary of the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Family and Life said that most priests too came not from “well-to-do” families.
“We priests were born in a family as well. We saw and experienced for ourselves the struggles that a Filipino family has to go through,” he said.
Castro was reacting to criticisms from some pro-reproductive health (RH) bill advocates that priests should get married for them to understand the plight of suffering families.
“We do not need to marry and have children of our own to understand the situation of married couples,” he said.
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, one of the authors of the RH bill in the Senate, recently reiterated that the measure should be passed and lashed out at Church leaders for opposing the bill.
In a forum organized by “Catholics for Reproductive Health” at the UP Diliman last Saturday, she urged the audience to stand for “freedom of conscience” and “responsible family planning” by supporting the RH bill.
Castro, however, said that while they respect the position of the senator, the Church adheres to its position that an RH law is not needed to solve the problems of Filipino families.
“It’s the same thing with the contraceptives which will remain unacceptable for the Church as a legitimate and moral method for responsible family planning,” he said. [CBCPNews]
