MANILA, May 6, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Catholic Bishops of the Philippines have set May 9 as a “National Day of Prayer” to invoke divine intervention and guidance for legislators to reject a birth control/population control measure. The date also marks the opening of the legislative session, during which the “RH bill” will be debated.
Human Life International (HLI) has praised the prayer initiative, noting that with prayer “mountains can be moved.”
Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro-Carambula, HLI Interim President said, “In this case, the mountains that must be moved are mountains of liberal ideology and money: hundreds of millions of dollars from Western elites who want the Filipinos to stop having children, and so are promoting this anti-life, anti-family ‘Reproductive Health’ bill.”
The controversial bill, called “The Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development Act,” seeks to “recognize” and “guarantee” “women’s human rights” and to keep laws from infringing on “reproductive health rights.” In February, over 50,000 pro-life supporters took to the streets to voice opposition to the bill.
Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles called on the faithful to devote special time in praying for the lawmakers that they reject the bill.
In the Southern Philippines, Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo has joined the prayer campaign, and in Agusan Del Sur, Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos called on the faithful to “storm the heaven with prayers.”
In Manila a novena-for-life against RH bill has been underway for the past five days, and is set to conclude on May 9.
HLI has urged the pro-life movement around the world to join their Filipino counterparts in prayer against the bill.
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